CEPs are actually doing YOU a favour by asking for housing. You can return the favour and help yourself by joining their cause.
I don't agree with any of your logic. I agree with you that they may possibly in the future fix the housing allowance at $24k for all expats, but as I've said before, they cannot do away with the allowance since it is in the contract. Perhaps someone can correct me on this point, but my understanding is that the amount should be enough to ensure that you maintain roughly the same living standards as where you come from. So paying a $5000 housing allowance will not suffice and can be properly challenged in court.
Furthermore, if the ultimate plan is to do away with the housing allowance, do you really think paying the CEPs a housing now will forever in the future protect the housing allowance??? An airline acts by either a crippling strike or by seeing a large turnover amongst its staff. Will any CEP resign if a housing allowance is not offered to them, or taken from them at a future date???
I still think the idea of basing your position on attaining a housing allowance is flawed
That's what most here have been trying to convey to the CEPs.