The United States is too rich to be forced to deal with its parasites: bureaucrats and lawyers. Unfortunately, it will take a severe crisis before that tumorous mass can even begin to be chopped away.
Those are the folks who benefit the most and who also control the process.
How are home owners "rent seekers"?
The root cause of what you're talking about is demand is exceeding supply, by quite a long way. The population is growing - through various means - faster than homes are being created. That means a few home owners will do what you describe.