The Brookings Institute and The Reinvestment Fund, a community reinvestment group, released a video detailing supermarket access in 10 metro areas. The video, “Getting to Market,” is also accompanied by TRF’s PolicyMap widget, which enables users to find areas where food access is a problem and generate reports about those areas.

The analysis considers factors beyond distance in the attempt to identify “food desserts, ” including factors like a community’s population density and car ownership within a community. Across the 10 metro areas, which range in size from Jackson, Miss. to Los Angeles, about 5 percent of the total population live in areas underserved by supermarkets.

The report, released October 2010, urges economic developers, neighborhood organizations and retailers to pinpoint areas of low food access as a first step toward reducing market obstacles to food options that are better and less expensive for residents of vulnerable communities.

See the report

Click here to read this article on the Journalism Center on Children & Families website on November 16th, 2010.

The Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program and The Reinvestment Fund (TRF) performed a detailed analysis of supermarket access in 10 metro areas, and the results are discussed in a new video, "Getting to Market."

Results from the analysis are also viewable in TRF’s PolicyMap widget, so that users can view the locations of, and generate reports about, low-supermarket-access communities within the 10 metro areas.  This is a highly useful tool for those working at the national and local levels to tackle the problem of inadequate access through public policy and private investment.  You can also access these data alongside any of PolicyMap’s 10,000 data indicators and full functionality at www.policymap.com

For those interested in other metro areas, TRF has made available a nationwide analysis of low-supermarket-access communities at www.trfund.com.

Media Memo »

If you want to share the widget PolicyMap has created for the Brookings Institution. Copy and paste the HTML code below onto your website.

<div style="text-align:center">
<iframe src="http://www.policymap.com/widget.jsp?userid=58&wkey=CDD6A1C25A3DA0B9C7A8BEB5E2C45AD6&height=500&o=99800" width="100%" height="700px" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" name="PolicyMap"></iframe>
<div style="font:13px arial,geneva,helvetica,sans-serif">Powered by <a style="text-decoration:underline" target="_blank" href="http://www.policymap.com">www.policymap.com</a>, an <a style="text-decoration:underline" target="_blank" href="http://www.policymap.com">online mapping tool</a> and data warehouse.</div></div>

For more information on The Reinvestment Fund, the Fresh Food Finance Initiative, or PolicyMap please contact us at pmap@policymap.com or (866) 923-MAPS.

NEW YORK, Sep 29, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — –LIIF, Goldman Sachs, TRF, and The Food Trust Will Provide Capital Grants and Loans to Eligible Retail Food Providers Committed to Expanding the Healthy Food Offerings in Underserved Neighborhoods

Governor David A. Paterson today announced the availability of $30 million for the New York Healthy Food & Healthy Communities (HFHC) Fund to finance the building of food markets in underserved communities. Administered by Empire State Development (ESD), the fund includes a $20 million commitment from The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and a $10 million commitment from ESD.

“Today’s announcement is a major step forward in ensuring the health and well-being of all New Yorkers,” Governor Paterson said. “As part of the State’s broader Healthy Food/Healthy Communities Initiative, the New York Healthy Food & Healthy Communities Fund provides financing for infrastructure costs and credit needs not typically filled by conventional financial institutions. Through this unique model, the fund will increase the supply of affordable, fresh food in underserved areas, improve the diets and health outcomes of the State’s residents, and spur economic development in these neighborhoods.”

In addition to the commitments from The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and ESD, the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth) is providing an additional $300,000 to cover expenses related to technical assistance and program administration. State funding for the HFHC program was set aside by Governor Paterson in the 2009–10 State Budget. The Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), in partnership with The Reinvestment Fund (TRF) and The Food Trust, was selected through an RFP to administer the fund.

Empire State Development Chairman & CEO Dennis M. Mullen said: “Governor Paterson created the Healthy Food/Healthy Communities Initiative in 2009 to respond to the lack of access to affordable, nutritious, fresh food in underserved communities. The Governor came to ESD because our commitment doesn’t start and end with businesses. Improving New York’s economy includes the health and well-being of all New Yorkers. By working with LIIF, we are not only increasing access to healthy food in the neighborhoods that need it, we are also creating jobs and revitalizing neighborhoods.”

An estimated 1.7 million New Yorkers, including 750,000 in New York City, live in neighborhoods that have limited access to stores providing healthy food options or fresh groceries. People living in these areas often shop for food at corner stores where high-sugar, high-fat food products dominate the shelves. By providing grants and loans to encourage food retailers to increase the supply of affordable, fresh food in these areas, the Healthy Food & Healthy Communities Fund aims to offer more healthful choices to the State’s residents. The initiative will create approximately 382 construction jobs and create or retain more than 3,000 direct jobs.

LIIF, the lead fund administrator, will draw on its 25 years of experience providing innovative grant and loan funds to low income communities to manage all aspects of this program, including originating loans and grants and ongoing portfolio management. TRF is the partnering administrator and is working with LIIF to build the HFHC Fund and underwrite loans. TRF has also provided LIIF with customized data analysis to help estimate the severity of the food access problem in New York and identify underserved areas across the State. The Food Trust, a nationally recognized nonprofit food access organization, will lead outreach efforts and evaluate applications for eligibility. Grants will range from $5,000 to $500,000 and loans from $250,000 to $5 million and higher for New Markets Tax Credit transactions. Fund participants can use the capital for predevelopment, acquisition, or construction activities, or as a term loan. Additionally, LIIF and its partners will work with borrowers to further leverage the fund’s loans to attract additional capital.

For more information, please visit LIIF’s website, www.liifund.org/healthyfood, to download an application or to learn more about the New York HFHC Fund. To contact the fund administrator, email nyhealthyfood@liifund.org or call (212) 509-5509 ext. 16.

Empire State Development is New York’s chief economic development agency, committed to being recognized on a global scale as the economic development engine driving job growth, strategic investment, and prosperity in New York State. ESD is intent on paving the way for New York State to become the leader of the innovation economy and one of the most business-friendly, productive and competitive economic development climates in the world. ESD also oversees the marketing of “I LOVE NY,” the State’s iconic tourism brand. For more information, visit: www.esd.ny.gov.

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm that provides a wide range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments, and high-net-worth individuals. Founded in 1869, the firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong and other major financial centers around the world.

The New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth) is a private Foundation dedicated to improving the health of all New Yorkers. NYSHealth has a three-part mission: expanding health insurance coverage, increasing access to high-quality health care services, and improving public and community health by educating New Yorkers about health issues and empowering communities to address them. NYSHealth was established with charitable funds from the privatization of Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) has served more than 860,000 people since 1984, by providing over $900 million in financing and technical assistance to hundreds of community organizations serving the nation’s poorest and hardest-to-reach populations. LIIF’s primary program areas are affordable and supportive housing, child care, and education facilities benefiting low income people and families. Over its history, LIIF has generated over $17 billion in societal and family benefits and provided the financing and technical assistance to create and preserve: 55,000 units of affordable housing; over 150,000 child care spaces; 50,000 spaces in schools; and 3.2 million square feet of community facilities and commercial space. LIIF has offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C. For more information about LIIF, visit www.liifund.org.

The Reinvestment Fund (TRF) is a leading national innovator in capitalizing distressed communities and stimulating economic growth for low- and moderate-income families. Central to its mission is a commitment to put capital and private initiative to work for the public good. TRF invests in homes, schools, food access, and sustainable energy, the values and community resources that our cities and families need to thrive. Since its inception in 1985, TRF has made $1 billion in community investments. TRF is nationally recognized for its research and housing-related policy analysis. TRF’s data analysis focuses both on helping TRF identify opportunities to invest its own resources as well as providing services to public sector and private clients seeking assistance with their own strategies to preserve and rebuild vulnerable communities. TRF’s analytical strength is also reflected in its newly created national online data and mapping tool that is available for all internet users at www.policymap.com. The tool offers thousands of data indicators to help users understand a place, compare places or track their own investments in a place. To learn more about TRF, visit www.trfund.com.

The Food Trust, a nonprofit founded in 1992, works to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food. Working with neighborhoods, schools, grocers, farmers, and policymakers, The Food Trust has developed a comprehensive approach that combines nutrition education and greater availability of affordable, healthy food. For more information, visit: thefoodtrust.org.

The following statements were provided in support of the public-private partnership to expand grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods:

Lloyd C. Blankfein, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Goldman Sachs, said: “As part of our broader focus on partnering with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), we are very pleased to help increase access to healthier food for underserved communities. This effort goes hand-inhand with our investments in job creation, entrepreneurship, and affordable housing.”

Nancy O. Andrews, LIIF’s President and CEO, said: “The Low Income Investment Fund is excited to get to work helping bring fresh food to underserved people now that the New York Health Food & Healthy Communities Fund is launched. Thanks to Governor Paterson’s leadership, capital investments from Goldman Sachs and Empire State Development, and support from NYSHealth Foundation, LIIF and our partners will provide thousands of New Yorkers access to healthy food.”

Don Hinkle-Brown, President of Community Investments and Capital Markets at TRF, said: “Our experience in Pennsylvania has shown that a strong private-public partnership and a data framework is critical to creating an effective food access initiative. We applaud Goldman Sachs and Empire State Development for their investment and leadership in this effort to bring affordable foods and jobs to underserved communities across New York.”

Yael Lehmann, The Food Trust Executive Director, said: “The New York Healthy Food & Healthy Communities Fund recognizes how important it is that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food. We are thrilled to be working with Empire State Development, the Low Income Investment Fund, and The Reinvestment Fund to bring healthy food to families throughout New York.”

James R. Knickman, Ph.D., President and CEO of the New York State Health Foundation, said: “Ensuring access to affordable, nutritious foods is essential to keeping New Yorkers healthy, reducing obesity, and preventing the onset of illnesses like diabetes. We’re so pleased to support a partnership that will yield tremendous health benefits for our State.”

Additional news available at www.ny.gov/governor High resolution images available at www.ny.gov/governor/mediaimages | password: paterson New York State | Executive Chamber | press.office@chamber.state.ny.us | 212.681.4640 | 518.474.8418 Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

SOURCE: The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Click here to read the press release from Goldman Sachs on MarketWatch on September 30th, 2010.

The event included a tour of Jeff Brown’s Parkside Shop Rite Supermarket followed by a townhall to engage leaders about the success of the Fresh Food Financing Initiative and other efforts throughout the state to improve access to fresh foods.

Jeff Brown’s ShopRite sits in a largely African American neighborhood with a declining population where close to 75% of households earn less than $50,000 a year. The successful grocery store (see our map here) gives this neighborhood easy and affordable access to fresh foods and suburban-like grocery store amenities.

The White House hopes to highlight local innovations like this around the nation to amplify the work of the private and non-profit partners who contributed to the success of this program, and identify ways the federal government can create incentives for this type of collaboration and policy integration.

Learn more about Parkside – or any neighborhood around the nation – by visiting PolicyMap.

“I’m getting so much exercise, it’s ridiculous,” Ms. Shepherd said on a recent afternoon.

West Oak Lane has the kind of yo-yo economic history that marks many urban areas. The 80-year-old neighborhood had been on an upswing thanks to the efforts of local community groups, rising real-estate prices and years of easy credit that poured money into local businesses.

But unemployment and foreclosures risk wiping out two decades of progress. Now the Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corp., funded through a combination of real-estate revenue and grants, is looking to buy foreclosed homes to keep them occupied and values stable. Instead of waiting for owners to come to them, the group brought Ms. Shepherd in to go block by block in search of stressed homeowners.

Foreclosures and unemployment are wreaking havoc in communities rich and poor. But these problems can have more severe effects in transitional urban areas just starting to come back, spurring efforts to prevent a new slide.

Boston Community Capital, a nonprofit that finances real estate in lower-income communities across Massachusetts, is buying foreclosed homes from banks and selling them back to homeowners at lower prices and under new mortgage terms. “The goal here is trying to stabilize neighborhoods by trying to keep homes occupied and productive,” says Elyse Cherry, chief executive of Boston Community Capital.

There are an estimated 1,500 homes in some version of foreclosure in the West Oak Lane area, which has about 20,000 homes, according to the Reinvestment Fund, a nonprofit that invests in Philadelphia. The metro area’s unemployment rate jumped to 8.2% in May from 4.9% a year ago, a rise that has fallen harder on areas like West Oak Lane, where residents tend to be less educated and many workers depend on hourly and overtime wages to make ends meet. According to data compiled by PolicymMap, 60% of West Oak Lane households earn less than $60,000 a year.

Jack Kitchen, CEO of the Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corp., says economic stress could drive more residents to bail., leaving the neighborhood with abandoned homes that attract crime. “I don’t want to see 2,000 [foreclosed] homes create 4,000 homes,” he says.

West Oak Lane sits near poverty-stricken North Philadelphia but also is close to wealthier neighborhoods like Chestnut Hill. Jeremy Nowak, president of the Reinvestment Fund, calls it a “barometer neighborhood,” because of its sensitivity to economic swings.

The neighborhood was established in the 1920s and was at first a middle-class, predominantly white area. Following World War II, it became more racially mixed and then predominantly African-American. It went into decline in the 1970s, and by the early 1980s West Oak Lane had hundreds of abandoned homes and a near-empty strip mall covered in graffiti.

The neighborhood’s most recent upswing started about two decades ago. The Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corp., which was founded in 1983 and was the brainchild of state Rep. Dwight Evans, started off by renovating the Ogontz Plaza shopping center, bringing in tenants including Rite-Aid and a video store.

About a decade ago, the group started buying and renovating abandoned homes, reducing the number of vacants from 350 in 1999 to less than 70 currently, which helped raise the values of surrounding homes. The six-year-old West Oak Lane Jazz & Arts Festival drew 3,000 in its first year in 2004; this year, the three-day festival drew more than 500,000.

Eight years ago, the boards came off Tulepehocken Street house. Local kids stopped hanging out on the stoop. Munirah Abdul-Karim moved in and outfitted the living room with a leather couch that sits under a framed quilt with gold Arabic script, a nod to her Muslim faith. “I paid $78,120 and zero cents — it’s my life,” says Ms. Abdul-Karim, whose given name is Myra Forrest.

But now, she is struggling to stay in her home. Early this year, Ms. Abdul-Karim lost her job in customer service at an insurer, which paid as much as $2,800 a month with overtime. She fell behind on her $639 mortgage payment and had almost lost her home by the time a friend referred her to Sharonda Sanders, a credit counselor at another nonprofit who works in an OARC office in West Oak Lane. Ms. Abdul-Karim has worked out a payment plan that allows her to stay in her house, but remains unemployed.

One problem facing organizations like OARC is that many homeowners don’t ask for help until they are deep into the foreclosure process. That is why OARC brought on Ms. Shepherd, who is on loan from the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, to find people in distress earlier.

On a recent afternoon, Ms. Shepherd walked up and down one West Oak Lane block, placing fliers in mailboxes or under doors. She went through foreclosure herself a few years ago, and says the experience gives her a sense of purpose for the job.

It isn’t always pleasant. The people who answer their door often give blank stares before turning away. Many of those who need help call back later, away from neighbors. Recently, a woman stood on her doorstep and screamed at Ms. Shepherd for exposing her problems to the neighbors. Ms. Shepherd calmed her down by telling her she had been through foreclosure herself.

Click here to read this article by Conor Dougherty (conor.dougherty@wsj.com) in The Wall Street Journal which appeared on July 14, 2009.

Honorary title would cover parts of Harden Street, Farrow Road

By ADAM BEAM – abeam@thestate.com

Columbia officials want to designate a stretch of Farrow Road and a stretch of Harden Street to honor Martin Luther King Jr.

The designation, which would cost the city about $20,000 for street signs and memorial plaques, would be honorary only and would not require anyone to change their address, said Chip Land, Columbia’s planning director.

They would be the first Martin Luther King Jr. streets in Columbia, which has a park named after the civil rights leader.

There’s also a Martin Luther King Boulevard in Hopkins.

Columbia officials plan to announce the designation at the city’s annual Martin Luther King Day celebration, which has been delayed a week until Jan. 26 so it won’t conflict with President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration.

“Every capital city in America, or most of them, have a street name designation after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” said City Councilman E.W. Cromartie “We want to make sure that we would honor that.”

Hundreds of cities across the country have named streets after the civil rights leader. Last year, at least two national media organizations highlighted how most of the streets that bear King’s name are in poor, high crime areas.

Columbia’s designation would be no different, as the Farrow Road/Harden Street corridor is one of the poorest in the city, according to PolicyMap, a demographic mapping service.

Click Here to read the full article.
This article by Adam Beam on The State on Wednesday December 24, 2008.