A new government effort aims to bolster what’s sometimes called the “missing middle” in California’s most expensive housing markets. Meaning: homes priced for households earning too much to qualify for subsidized housing but not enough to comfortably pay market-rate rent. In LA County, moderate-income ranges from an individual earning about $67,000 a year to a household of four earning nearly $127,000 a year. It’s currently unclear whether the benefits of this program will outweigh the costs in the long run.