That's ridiculous, there are other reasons for zoning laws outside of these things. Certain types of housing stock (i.e. condos and townhomes), need to be built

That's ridiculous, there are other reasons for zoning laws outside of these things. Certain types of housing stock (i.e. condos and townhomes), need to be built to a higher quality than single family homes because it's much easier to tear down and replace a single family home or a rental apartment building should it move into disrepair. Over the long run this very regularly leads to housing units where the maintenance costs are far higher than the mortgage payment. Multiplex homes also run a greater risk of falling into disrepair over the long term if you have a situation of split ownership. The solution to our housing crisis cannot be more "missing middle" it needs to be larger scale projects with 50+ units each with strict standards around building quality.