Player base: I never see anyone out in the world in my MMO!
Also the player base: I want player housing where only I (and my party) can be!
Obviously, these are not the same groups, but I’d hazard a guess that the first crowd makes up more than the second crowd. I’m also more than certain the average player would be pretty upset that major resources were poured into a niche avenue of gameplay.
I say this as someone who actually loves player housing and decorating - you should have seen my Gaia Online house.