MORENO VALLEY, Calif. — The rose bushes are back in bloom on Beth Court, but the lawns on the block remain parched and browning, reminders of the absent families who once tended to them.
On a recent evening, a new homeowner lugged two large shopping bags from Home Depot across his front yard, where his young daughter danced a mad jig in her pajamas. Across the street, another group of newcomers — an extended family that had cobbled together enough cash for a down payment — began the long slog of cleaning out the garage.
