Renting over owning is a more stable outlay (no “surprise, you need a new water heater” expenses for renters) and it gives flexibility for moving with any kind of frequency. I agree that home ownership should be more attainable and affordable, but it’s not a clean win 100% of the time for everyone.
Yes, a buffer built into the rental price (“inflated” is a loaded term; rents can be inflated, but a rental price set to cover mortgage and amortized expenses isn’t by definition inflated), but it’s still stable.