do you go to city council meetings?

I have. It's not just property owners. it's a lot of different people who show up, and most of them are dumb as rocks and spout ignorant nonsense, because what they are really doing is vocalizing their feelings that they don't like change.

and then when someone who is informed or smart shows up, people shout them down as if they are pushing a conspiracy on them, or concern troll them with ridiculous scenarios or demands.

You can blame the rich all you want, in my life experience in housing policy, everyone is an idiot about it, the difference is the rich have the lawyers to gum up the system, but often poor people will do the same way via an advocacy group.

Being poor or renting doesn't' make you a saint, despite what lemmy idealists seem to think.