Rent control is partially to blame for this, in that it creates a huge de facto landlord class out of a group of people who would otherwise have a strong incent

Rent control is partially to blame for this, in that it creates a huge de facto landlord class out of a group of people who would otherwise have a strong incentive to keep housing prices affordable. They can even reap financial windfalls from rising housing prices by negotiating buyouts. (I say this as someone who personally benefits from rent control. It shouldn't exist.)