I paid off our small house - and a piece of government paper says we own it. But we still have to pay $600/mo rent to the govt and rising. Housing costs increase every year due to rent increases and increasing cost of maintenance.

At least with a landlord you have a chance of seeing their face. There is something creepy about our faceless govt landlord.

Worse, half of the govt rent goes to genital mutilation of children (and the usual share for murdering babies).