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Rebuilding grocery stores in New Orleans: Moving from policy to practice
APPROACH: Program implementation began by developing eligibility criteria and guidelines with input from non-profit, financial, and government partners. As the initiative continued, partners sought strategies to: 1) engage experienced retailers in targeted areas of need, 2) assess the quality and viability of grocery applicants, 3) match projects appropriately with community needs/desires, and 4) expedite complex financial structuring that can often delay projects.
RESULTS: The FFRI program has supported several grocery projects in underserved neighborhoods of New Orleans. Case studies have been developed for the following locations:
1) The Circle Food Store closed in 2005 due to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. The FFRI program was able to provide the gap funding to renovate the store, which reopened in January 2014. The Circle now serves 28,000 low- to moderate-income residents and employs 65 neighborhood residents.
2) In February 2014, a Whole Foods Market opened as part of the ReFresh project, which revitalized a vacant supermarket site and has several health-focused tenants, including a teaching kitchen and community garden.
DISCUSSION: Several key lessons should inform future development of similar programs. Significant marketing, outreach, flexibility in funding structure, and relationships with the grocery industry are crucial to develop a robust applicant pipeline.
Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programsAdvocacy for health and health education
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Public health or related public policy
Learning Objectives:
Explain how a food access policy can support both public health and economic revitalization.
Identify key stakeholders and challenges when implementing an economic development program and developing a robust pipeline of grocery retail applicants in underserved areas.
Describe national best practices and key case studies in New Orleans that relate to healthy food financing.
Keyword(s): Food Security, Public/Private Partnerships
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: For over three years, I have managed the implementation of the New Orleans Fresh Food Retailer Initiative, a $14 million grocery financing program in partnership with the City of New Orleans. My areas of expertise include: program management, industry partnerships, community outreach, and economic development. At the national level, I have worked on advocacy efforts in several states and cities to improve healthy food access.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.