U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is looking to provide federal funding to help end “food deserts.”
Gillibrand was on the Southside of Syracuse Monday to announce plans for the “Healthy Food Financing Initiative Reauthorization Act.” The legislation is aimed at helping to end food deserts like the Southside, where a significant number of residents do not have easy access to a grocery store or affordable, nutritious food. Gillibrand said fixing food insecurity is not always about adding another store.
“I always thought you just need another grocery store,” Gillibrand said. “But I am beginning to realize maybe that isn't just it, maybe you need a lot more in the food system.”
She said providing funds to non-for-profits and other food sources can help to fill the gaps in food deserts.
The proposed reauthorization looks to provide $50 million annually in federal funding for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, a USDA program offering loans and grants to grocery stores to establish locations in underserved communities.
“We want to make sure that it’s actually a mandatory program, meaning that we don’t have to go back and ask for the funding every year,” Gillibrand said. “We are also asking to double the amount of money from $25 million to $50 million.”
Gillibrand said she is looking to include the reauthorization in the Farm Bill.
“The Farm Bill we write every five years and food insecurity is the number one issue in the Farm Bill this year,” Gillibrand said.
But she said passing the reauthorization may take some convincing.
“It’s not always bipartisan,” Gillibrand said. “For some reason, our Republican colleagues often cut food security money. So we just have to advocate and convince them this is really important investments to well-being, but also to economic growth and to sustainability for communities and families.”
Gillibrand said elected officials need to focus on helping communities meet basic needs.
