Massachusetts Sees Push for Healthy Foods Initiative
Advocates in Massachusetts are campaigning on behalf of the Massachusetts Food Trust, a fund that would incentivize grocery stores and food markets to open their doors in a state that needs increased access to healthy foods. Though Massachusetts is one of the wealthiest states in the country, it has fewer than one supermarket for every 10,000 people, a lower rate than all but two other states. In 2014, Massachusetts’ Legislature authorized a bill that would address this issue by providing $2 million for food-focused projects. However, the funds for the trust have yet to be released.
The Boston Globe profiles Mason Square, an impoverished neighborhood in Massachusetts, where the closest grocery store is more than two miles away. With combined support from community developers and the Massachusetts Food Trust, a supermarket project could create roughly 150 new jobs, and grant easy access to healthy foods.
In the article, Sajan Philip of LIIF describes the impact such projects have on low-income communities. He highlights New York’s $30 million Healthy Food and Health Communities Fund, which has preserved more than 1,000 jobs over the past six years. LIIF continues to be a proud supporter of healthy food initiatives that seek to empower communities through life-long, beneficial health outcomes.
More Information:
- Read the Boston Globe article
- Learn more about LIIF’s Healthy Food Financing
