text: It was an inspiring day with constituents and caseworkers from the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, House of Hope CDC and Amos House. I met with more than two dozen Rhode Islanders who are homeless or who have faced homelessness in the past. It takes tremendous courage to share such stories of struggle, and todayÛªs group was certainly brave. They were honest and open, and their experiences reinforce the importance of affordable housing in our communities. Over the past decade, low-income families have experienced a 20 percent increase in spending on housing at the same time their incomes decreased by four percent. For too many families, that is not only unaffordable ÛÒ it is unsustainable. I look forward to continuing my work with these partners to increase access to affordable housing and to get Rhode Islanders who are struggling back on their feet.