Rhode Islanders perceive continued challenges in access to housing, cost of living, food security

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University]-Rhode Islanders continue to face challenges related to affordable housing, cost of living and food security. Those are among the key findings from the sixth Rhode Island Life Index, an annual statewide survey on well-being created by leaders at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island and the Brown University School of Public Health.

The survey captured how Rhode Islanders perceived their well-being in 2024 and added to a growing set of data the R.I. Life Index has been collecting since before the COVID-19 pandemic. After dipping in the wake of pandemic-related disruptions, survey scores have stabilized but continue to show significant challenges amid elevated housing and food costs. The overall results from this year showed no marked improvement over 2023.

The results were announced on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at Brown University to key stakeholders, community partners, policymakers and members of the public health community.

The index evaluates how factors that transcend health care delivery - such as housing, food security, employment, education and quality of life, collectively known as social determinants of health - contribute to health inequities. Perceptions of social determinants of health are difficult to measure, said Dr. Francesca Beaudoin, academic dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, yet generating this kind of data is key to creating better and more effective solutions, she said.

"For six years, the R.I. Life Index has been a critical resource for understanding the lived realities of Rhode Islanders," Beaudoin said. "From housing and food security to the rising cost of living, this year's findings highlight persistent struggles but also provide a foundation for targeted actions to improve the well-being of our communities. This data-driven approach ensures that solutions are timely, relevantand rooted in evidence, enabling us to better address inequities and build healthier systems for everyone statewide."

Food insecurity is a troubling problem in Rhode Island

The R.I. Life Index asks Rhode Islanders for their perceptions on issues including the availability of affordable housing; programs and services for children and older adults; and access to health care, food, employment and transportation. On a scale of 0 to 100, higher scores indicate more positive perceptions.

For 2024, the index's overall score stood at 57, which was essentially unchanged from the previous year, but down six points since 2021 and the lowest level since the researchers began collecting data for the index. The lowest scores were in the areas of affordable housing and cost of living.

The score for access to nutritious food was 64, down two points since last year (the largest drop of any score over the last year) and nine points since 2021. Rhode Island Community Food Bank CEO Andrew Schiff discussed that finding during a panel discussion that followed the release of the results, calling the trend troubling and asking the panelists for ideas about solutions.