The Dickens Administration has partnered with City Council on legislation to allocate funding to provide access to quality groceries and fresh food in underserved Atlanta communities. The legislation (Ordinance ID 32708) introduced by Councilmembers Overstreet and Boone would allocate $1 million to Invest Atlanta to help incentivize job creation, encourage investment and provide the tools to spur development and food access to areas who have historically experienced food insecurity.
“Every family in Atlanta deserves access to fresh, healthy food and convenient locations that provide these items,” said Mayor Andre Dickens. “These funds are an investment in communities impacted by historic underinvestment from national chains. The City is committed to righting those wrongs, with an end goal of eliminating food insecurity in every zip code.”
There are fewer than 50 grocery stores (with 50 employees or less) in Atlanta and the differential in the quality of the grocers is markedly different in the northeastern quadrants of the city versus the others.
“Providing access to healthy and affordable food continues to be a top priority. This is an incredible initiative for our district and the Campbellton Road corridor. This investment will create tremendous opportunities for economic development with the hope of creating a municipal marketplace that will attract diverse and creative business owners,” said District 11 Councilmember Marci Collier Overstreet. “Thank you to Invest Atlanta and our mayor for helping coordinate this plan that invests in our residents. This is another great example of public and private entities collaborating in Atlanta to enhance the quality of life in our city.”
The lack of grocery stores and access to healthy food has a significant impact on public health—carrying higher risks for obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure for affected individuals.
“Through this fund, we can make a real difference in District 10…
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