One natural disaster or financial crisis can destroy rental income for years in a given market. 

Jenna Goldstein The financial crisis of 2008 was caused by mortgage lenders giving unqualified people a mortgage.

If people saw their careers for what they really are, a tool to make money, there would be a lot less mid-life crisis’ going on.

Also to see crypto come through during the next crisis & see biblical Austrian Economics play out & end the federal reserve & majorly failed Keynesian experiment the last many decades!

I have many friends who pay much more to rent crappy places (and help to make their landlords rich) than I pay to own in a very nice place, because my mortgage remains steady while their rents have continued to climb year in and year out. and in lower value areas which I would deem as 250k and under you can get those houses paid off in 10 to 15 years no SWEAT.. and now never have to pay mortgage or rent.I remember in 09 in the middle of the crisis.. some areas of the US was probably everything considered the cheapest safest place in the world to live.I was buying new or near new homes at courthouse steps in Fort Myers for 25 to 35k EACH... it was tempting to buy one of those and call it a day  LOL..

The obvious being the great recession and the S and L crisis before that.  

Usually oil crisis is very shortlived.

Bottom line is, the OP asked about solving the housing crisis in America.

It almost seems like you are having a "mid-life-type-crisis" and looking for something else to do.  

COVID has shown us that the government could not care any less about landlords and will use us as the scapegoat in any crisis in any way they can.