For 125 years, this building has been a form of low-income housing. It was a hotel for most of the time, but it is now being explicitly managed in aid of Veterans. But slowly, these types of housing are squeezed out of areas, as are trailer homes.
Rentals in single-family homes are also less common than in years gone by. Many core cities, which would benefit most from additional forms of rentals, require a variety of regulations which discourage owners from renting out part of their house. They are also held to standards that, in the past, favored an owner whereas now puts them as a disadvantage.
Yes, more homes need to be built. But many other forms of casual living situations have been squeezed out of existence by rules and regulations.
Home Economics 