Every time a housing discussion comes up someone comes in with this argument. If you stopped to think about it you'd realize how silly it is.

Renting doesn't need to be handled solely or even at all by the private market.

Sadly I don’t see any better way to help renters.

If you make the costs of real estate investment so onerous that it’s only attractive to owner-occupants then it becomes far harder for your landlord to exploit you as a tenant, as the option for you to buy much more cheaply will be there even if you choose never to do so.