Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited Valley Plaza in Syracuse on Monday to announce her Healthy Food Financing Initiative Reauthorization Act, legislation that would help end food deserts. Food deserts are areas where a significant portion of residents don’t have easy access to a grocery store and affordable, nutritious food. Instead, they are forced to rely on corner and convenience stores, which often sell little to no fresh produce, meat or dairy and whose prices are higher than those of a typical supermarket.
Gillibrand’s legislation would provide $50 million annually in mandatory federal funding for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI). HFFI is a USDA program that offers loans and grants to incentivize grocery stores to establish locations in underserved communities, such as Syracuse’s Valley neighborhood, which has lacked a large grocery store since the local Tops supermarket shut down in 2018. She is also calling for $25 million for HFFI to be included in the upcoming government funding bill.
Gillibrand was joined by the founder of Food Access Healthy Neighborhoods Now Rhonda Vesey, Mayor Ben Walsh, Executive Director of Food Bank of Central New York Karen Belcher, and members of the Onondaga County Legislature.
“An easily accessible grocery store is a basic necessity, but for years, the residents of Syracuse’s Valley neighborhood haven’t had consistent access to one,” said Senator Gillibrand. “That means that they have to travel miles outside their neighborhood just to buy staple groceries, and for residents without a car, that can mean a multi-hour journey by foot or public transit. It’s unacceptable. USDA’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative is a critical public-private partnership that provides grocers with financial incentives to establish locations in these underserved communities, and for years, the program has successfully brought fresh food to areas that need it. But HFFI doesn’t have enough funding to help every neighborhood in need, so I’m calling for $25 million for the program to be included in this year’s government funding bill. I’m also introducing a bill to provide $50 million in mandatory federal funding for HFFI every single year going forward. I look forward to getting it passed in this year’s Farm Bill and starting the process of ending food deserts for good.”
“Food insecurity is a problem that disproportionately affects communities of color across the country, including here in Syracuse. With the Healthy Food Financing Initiative proposed by Senator Gillibrand, it is our hope that Syracuse’s most affected neighborhoods will gain access to affordable grocery stores that offer nutritious options,” said Mayor Ben Walsh.
In New York State, HFFI has provided financial or technical assistance to 4 fresh food retailers in Troy, Rochester, Buffalo, and Brooklyn, as well as dozens more nationwide. A full list of recipients is available here.
