Census: Housing costs eat up half of more than 7 million Americans’ incomes

MIAMI (AP) _ Al Ray is so strapped for cash, the only time he eats out is on Wednesday or Sunday, when the local McDonald’s sells hamburgers for 49 cents. Ray lost his engineering job last November, and has been working as high school tutor, scratching out about $1,000 a month , if he’s lucky. He struggled to make his $1,400 monthly mortgage payment and $330 monthly homeowners’ association fee until May, when he stopped paying. For the full story visit www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/ats-ap-cash-strapped-homeownerssep23,1,1396136.story