A random timer is fine, but they really have to do something about it rewarding people for standing there and clicking something for hours, or using keyboard macros.

I feel like just letting people put their name into a raffle and then giving a random person the house at the end would achieve the same thing, minus having people kill themselves over clicking a placard for 5 hours. It wouldn't completely solve the housing situation, but it seems like it's at least better than the current.