I'm aware that there are many benefits of owning a home, stability primarily. However I'm wondering if instead of thinking 'home ownership is the best financial choice, and it also provides many benefits' maybe the thinking should be 'home ownership provides many benefits and you are going to pay a premium for those benefits'.
The difference is that when it's viewed as a luxury not a necessity, people who are struggling financially can make the choice to forego the benefits of ownership to decrease the strain on their budget.