As income inequality grows, a state senator renews the call to strengthen Rhode Island’s safety net
A state senator urges residents not to accept the growing concentration of wealth among the rich while many struggle for basic needs such as housing, health care, and food. The government shutdown has left about 145,000 Rhode Islanders who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) without funds to buy groceries.
“Regardless of how and when the Trump administration complies with a court order to pay at least partial benefits for November, this has increased hunger in Rhode Island.”
Almost 40 percent of Rhode Islanders face food insecurity, highlighting the depth of economic hardship. According to recent HousingWorks RI data, renters’ median household income is $48,434. Yet no community in the state allows households earning less than $60,000 per year to afford the typical rent for a two-bedroom apartment. In many areas, rent requires incomes exceeding $75,000 or even $100,000.
Home ownership is equally out of reach: families earning below $100,000 cannot afford a median-priced home anywhere in Rhode Island. This economic strain is worsened by the ongoing government shutdown, driven by congressional Republicans refusing to renew health care marketplace subsidies. Without those subsidies, premiums for most Rhode Islanders depending on them are expected to surge by 85 percent or more.
Even with assistance programs, many residents still find medical care unaffordable, and medical debt remains a key driver of bankruptcy across the nation.
Author’s Summary
As inequality deepens in Rhode Island, Senator calls for stronger safety measures to aid families facing hunger, rising rents, and health care costs.
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