New York Healthy Food & Healthy Communities Fund
Program Purpose
New York
State announced the creation of the Healthy Food/Healthy
Communities Initiative in 2009 in response to rising concern
over the lack of access to affordable, nutritious, fresh
food in underserved communities.
The New York Healthy Food & Healthy Communities Fund is a $30 million statewide program created to provide grants and loans for food markets in those communities. By providing financing to supermarket and grocery operators, the program will increase the availability of nutritious food choices for the 1.7 million New Yorkers who lack access to stores with healthy food options.
Program Highlights
The innovative program is two-fold - it meets the financing
needs of market operators that plan to operate in these
communities and do not have access to financing through the
conventional credit market.
It also supports the direct development of jobs. It will
assist market operators in low-income neighborhoods who do
not have the access to financing to bring nutritious foods
to those in need, enhance distribution for New York State
growers and create new markets and retail jobs.
Eligibility
The New York Healthy Food & Healthy Communities
Fund program is open to food markets in New York State that
are located in underserved areas, defined as one of the
following:
- a low- or moderate-income census tract
- a census tract with below average food market density
- a food market site with a customer base of 50% or more living in a low-income census tract
Partners
Public Partners
Empire State Development
New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
Capital Partners
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
New York State Health Foundation
Fund Administrators
Low Income Investment Fund
The Reinvestment Fund
Food Access Partner
The Food Trust
Contact Information
For more information, please
email
the Low Income Investment Fund or contact them at:
350 Broadway, Suite 701
New York, NY 10013
(212) 509-5509 ext. 16