Many Lower Hudson Valley Residents Can't Make Ends Meet, Study Says

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A study released Sunday by United Way shows that many people in the Lower Hudson Valley are dealing with financial struggles.

As WCBS 880's Myles Miller reported, the Journal News said the study found that more than a third of Westchester, Rockland and Putnam County residents are struggling to provide for themselves and their families.

The study said the high cost of living in the three counties leaves more than 160,000 working class households in poverty or without enough money to survive, the Journal News reported.

The study said the residents are forced to make tough choices and working several jobs just to put enough food on the table and pay rent.

For Lower Hudson Valley resident Chris Jackson, making ends meet is tough.

He said he is only "working two days out of the week."

On Track 25 at Grand Central Station, Jackson was preparing to make a deal with Metro-North Railroad conductors because he did not have enough money to get home.

The study found that the biggest hurdles for the struggling Lower Hudson Valley residents are the high cost of housing and child care. Jackson has young kids at home, and relies on food stamps and Section 8 to survive.

"We've got little kids in the house, so you got to make sure we have something," he said. "We don't eat, but they've got to eat."