PolicyMap Featured in Limited Supermarket Access Study

by Elizabeth Nash

Along with the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund and the Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), TRF is pleased to announce its latest analysis of food access in underserved communities across the country, available through PolicyMap.

TRF’s study reveals that 24.6 million Americans live in Limited Supermarket Access (LSA) areas, or areas in which residents must travel longer distances to reach supermarkets, as compared to middle and upper income residents living in areas with similar population density and car ownership rates. For these areas, PolicyMap makes LSA data available for free including:

  • The Access Score
  • Grocery retail demand
  • Grocery retail leakage
  • The study’s population density/car ownership classification

Access the data either through our simple-to-use interactive map on TRF’s website or via PolicyMap through the TRF Analytics tab in the TRF Study of Limited Supermarket Access (LSA) Areas (2011) in the Add Data Layer menu and through the Grocery Retail Access tab in the Add sites menu. CDFIs and those working in the healthy food financing arena can view LSA areas to help determine if a community can financially support a new supermarket or other healthy food retailers. The LSA information can be helpful in communicating with policymakers, investors, store operators, and advocates working to improve access to healthy foods for communities across the nation.

This analysis is part of a larger effort from the CDFI Fund’sFinancing Healthy Food Options (“FHFO”) training track provided by OFN. The track includes training on financing food retailers, mid-tier food chain enterprises, and food producers; one-on-one technical assistance for CDFIs; and online access to this study, and to best practices, among other resources. Those CDFIs applying to the CDFI Fund for Technical Assistance through the FHFO track may receive a one-year subscription to PolicyMap. Contact Pam Porter at OFN at pporter@opportunityfinance.net for more information about this opportunity.

For more information about our LSA Study or to sign up for a training, please contact Phil Vu at phil.vu@policymap.com or sign up here.



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