It’s big companies but it’s also (mostly?) the nice retired insurance agents and school teachers who like their quiet neighborhood and the fact that the house they bought 30 years ago can be sold for 4x its inflation-adjusted purchase price when they’re ready.

100% agreed. Our individualism and own greed are also a great contributing factor. After-all we ultimately elect those politicians and also have to profit similar to a company (hopefully not at all costs though).

> It’s big companies but it’s also (mostly?) the nice retired insurance agents and school teachers

Those retired agents and teachers have exactly zero influence on local and state politicians.

Those big companies who host fund raising dinners at the CEOs mansions and contribute millions? Yes, a lot of influence. To the point where we've seen plenty legislative bills which turn out to be just cut & paste from what some corporate sponsor wrote.

You're talking about national politics or state-level politics in big states like California. The mayor of a random town with 50,000 people is not getting a million dollars donated to their campaign by anybody.

It is actually the local voters who decide who governs the town. But when residency in the town requires you to own a house, the existing residents vote for people who make housing prices go up.

> But when residency in the town requires you to own a house

There is no such place in the USA. Residency means you live there, which you can do also by renting a place. Then you get to vote on all local elections.

There are plenty of places where to a first approximation the houses are all owner-occupied rather than offered for rent.