As housing costs have risen in the first part of the 21st century, American households have struggled to compete for high-quality housing near areas of employment in major cities, suburbs, exurbs and rural areas (especially resort towns). Many individuals and families in these areas do not earn enough to afford market-rate housing but earn too much to qualify for traditional “low-income housing” support, such as the federal housing choice voucher program (Section 8) and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program. Housing advocates, developers, policymakers and others have responded by looking for new ways to support the housing needs of this “missing middle” population.