ATLANTA — Mayor Andre Dickens and the Atlanta City Council are working to find a new way to fight against food insecurity in the metro area.
“Every family in Atlanta deserves access to fresh, healthy food and convenient locations that provide these items,” said Mayor Dickens.
Legislation -- introduced by Councilmembers Marci Collier Overstreet and Andrea Boone -- would allocate $1 million to Invest Atlanta to provide residents access to quality groceries and fresh food. It aims to help underserved communities in the city. The ordinance would also help create jobs and encourage development in food insecure areas.
According to city officials, there are fewer than 50 grocery stores with less than 50 employees in Atlanta.
The Dickens Administration said the quality of grocers are different in the south than in the northeast parts of the city, which has a significant impact of health on public health for some communities.
"The City is committed to righting those wrongs, with an end goal of eliminating food insecurity in every zip code,” Dickens said.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found Black people are two times more likely to experience food insecurity than the national average.
“Through this fund, we can make a real difference in District 10 for our residents who have limited access to healthy foods. My constituents don’t have enough options, leaving them to buy food from the neighborhood gas stations and fast-food restaurants,” said District 10 Councilmember Boone.
The federal department also found the Black and Hispanic neighborhoods have fewer full-service supermarkets in their neighborhoods.
“By addressing this challenge, we can decrease food insecurity, give our residents better options, and help to boost our economic vitality," said District 12 Councilmember Antonio Lewis.
In addition to managing the funds, Invest Atlanta will also support research to show which communities are currently in a food desert.
