Two indicators for lowering the rent

Corporate landlords aren't the main driver of rising rents—despite widespread political backlash. A new bill aiming to restrict institutional investors from owning single-family homes could backfire by killing off 'build-to-rent' housing, which already supplies a growing share of rental units and helps low-income families access better neighborhoods. Meanwhile, the near-eradication of single-room occupancy (SRO) buildings—once a lifeline for the poor and working class—has contributed significantly to America’s homelessness crisis. In cities like New York, SROs once offered affordable, independent living for as little as $100 a month. Their destruction in the mid-20th century, fueled by urban renewal policies with racial and classist undertones, removed a critical safety net. Today, experts argue that reviving SROs—especially with support services—could be a low-cost, high-impact solution to housing affordability and homelessness. The evidence suggests that the real culprits behind unaffordable housing are not corporate landlords, but decades of underbuilding and policy decisions that erased the cheapest forms of shelter. The episode reveals two powerful levers for lowering rent: first, allowing institutional investors to keep building rental homes, which increases supply and often lowers prices; second, legally enabling the return of SROs—cheap, supportive housing that can serve as a bridge for people between shelters and permanent homes.