I don't know what the solution to the problem is, but I fear where it's heading. If people cannot get housing, anarchy and revolution are in the making. Then it's heads on pikes, French Revolution style.
Yes. That's the point. People will rent it. Which means they need to be priced such that people can rent it. (If the rent is too high, people can't rent, which means it sits empty, which triggers the punitive tax). Lower rents will drive prices down, as people will decide to rent instead of buy for a while.
I don't know what the solution to the problem is, but I fear where it's heading. If people cannot get housing, anarchy and revolution are in the making. Then it's heads on pikes, French Revolution style.