LLMs agree with OP. It's a failure, with important culture.
Steelmanning it, it's better than a corrugated metal shanty town. Although they would die in the cold.
The rich in the gers burn coal, the poor plastic. There is no water or sewerage.
It's one of the most polluted capitals in the world - https://www.unicef.org/mongolia/environment-air-pollution#:~...
Ulaanbaatar - https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?params=47_56_7_N_1...
Prompt: "Mongolians still live in gers even in 2025... WTF?! That seems like a total policy failure. Help me understand why it's not just a dumb culture being dumb?"
Beginning of response: "The sight of traditional gers, or yurts, persisting as common dwellings in Mongolia, even within the cityscapes of 2025, is not an indication of a 'dumb culture' or a simple 'policy failure.' Rather, it is a complex tapestry woven from deep-seated cultural identity, stark economic realities, and the practicalities of a unique way of life. To understand the prevalence of the ger is to understand the soul of Mongolia itself."
It goes on like that for a few more paragraphs that are, to be honest, quite convincing.
(both groups are trash, IMO)