What should be really added to housing is the feature to kick houses that haven't been accessed for over a month. I bet there's so many abandoned houses up in the older wards right now... -.-

And I still think wards should be an option, not a must. They are an hinderance right now as they limit the amount of houses we can have. They should've started with instanced houses first.

The funny thing is that they justify the wards system by saying people asked for neighborhoods, yet said neighborhoods are mostly desert. I am in my FC's ward daily and it's a miracle if there's more than 6 people in the zone at any given time. Imo, this is what they should've done:

1) Make instanced housing. This allows everyone to have a house, especially if instead of gil it asks for GC points or Main Scenario progress like for most of other games. I'm thinking of an instance similar to the Demon Doors in the Fable games, with house, yard with field, well and whatever. It would start with small, and will be able to be expanded through further accomplishments.
2) Make the housing wards, limited as they are now (since they don't have the servers do add more currently). For a fee (like the current fees we have now), you'll be able to move your instanced house inside the ward. Of course, the price will raise with your instanced house's size, and you'll need to select a plot your house can fit in.

This way, all those who want a house can have a house, and all those who actually care to have a neighborhood (and will use it), can have a neighborhood. Houses for all, and no more ghost towns.