USDA Partnership to Help Improve Healthy Food Access for Underserved Communities

USDA announced that it is partnering with Reinvestment Fund to help organizations strengthen local food financing programs and improve access to healthy foods in underserved communities across the country. Reinvestment Fund has selected 16 public-private partnerships in 20 states and Washington, D.C., to receive $40.3 million in grants under the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Local & Regional Healthy Food Financing Partnerships Program. This program provides financing to local, state, and regional organizations that partner together to provide financing and technical assistance to food retailers in underserved communities. For example, a New Mexico project will support data collection to inform improvements to the sustainability and resiliency of the state’s food distribution channels. Meanwhile, the Pacific Northwest Resilient Food Systems Partnership will use funding to provide planning, operations, and credit services to build resilient regional food systems that improve healthy food access for underserved communities in Southeast Alaska, Washington, and Oregon.