Workers struggle to get by in New York's Hamptons, America's playground for rich and famous

Few places illustrate the growing gap separating the rich from everyone else as starkly as the Hamptons, the summer playground for the have and have-mores.

In the Hamptons, the high cost of living is a challenge even for those considered middle class.

About 40 percent of Southampton children get free or reduced school lunches. A food pantry at church serves up to 400 clients monthly. And Southampton Hospital provides some doctors and nurses with housing because they can't afford to buy or rent there.

The charity Human Resources of the Hamptons assists 6,000 people annually through its food pantry, thrift shop and other services.

Town supervisor Anna Throne-Holst says it is imperative to create more affordable housing to accommodate the teachers, carpenters and landscapers who keep the community running.