1. Healthy Food Financing Initiatives

2. IHFAC Mission Statement:
“The Indiana Healthy Food Access Coalition is comprised of several diverse community organizations, united in the shared vision of ensuring that every Indiana resident has access to healthy, affordable food.”

3. IHFAC Partners AARP Indiana Minority Health Coalition
Indiana State Alliance of YMCAs
Top 10 by 2025 Coalition
American Heart Association
Feeding Indiana’s Hungry
Indy Hunger Network
Indiana Healthy Weight Initiative
Hoosier Farmer’s Market Association
Purdue Extension
Green Bean Delivery
Evansville Area Food Council
Accelerate Indiana Municipalities
American Diabetes Association
Health Visions Fort Wayne
Memorial Hospital Foundation
Indianapolis Urban League
Marion County Healthy Department
Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County
Food and Nutrition Policy Consultants, LLC
Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority
Indy Chamber
Anthem Indiana
Americorps VISTA
Marshall County Neighborhood Center
Indiana Hospital Association
City of Indianapolis
Lake Minority Health Coalition
St. Joseph Minority Health Coalition
El Centro Comunal Latino

4. Food Access Terminology

5. What is a food desert?
A food desert is defined by the USDA as a low-income area in which a large share of residents has low-access to a supermarket or large grocery store.
Low-access to a healthy food retail outlet is defined as more than 1 mile from a supermarket or large grocery store in urban areas and as more than 10 miles in rural areas.
Source:
United States Department of Agriculture: Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food, Food Deserts and Their Consequences: Report to Congress (2009).

6. Food deserts affect low-income communities all over the country.

7. The cost of obtaining food in a food desert is higher due to food prices at neighborhood stores and the cost of having to travel to shop at a grocery store or supermarket.

8. More food access terms Food Insecurity Food Environment
In food deserts, residents often experience food insecurity. The USDA defines food insecurity as limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods.
According to Johns Hopkins University, a food environment includes homes, stores, restaurants, community gardens, soup kitchens, food banks, and other physical settings where the cost and availability of food influence what people eat.
Sources:
United States Department of Agriculture: Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food, Food Deserts and Their Consequences: Report to Congress (2009).
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health: Center for a Livable Future. [online]:

9. Healthy Food Financing
A term that encompasses a variety of state and local policies and programs that provide capital to expand communities’ access to healthy foods, build grocery stores and revitalize economies

10. HFFI does NOT apply only to brick and mortar grocery stores
HFFI does NOT apply only to brick and mortar grocery stores! When we use the terms “grocery store” or “supermarket,” here’s what we mean….
FIRST, HFFI projects MUST be located in an underserved community and primarily serve low income areas and moderate income areas
The following projects are eligible for financing:
Construction of new grocery stores
Grocery store, food bank, or food pantry renovations, expansions, and infrastructure upgrades that improve the availability and quality of fresh produce and other healthy foods
Farmer’s markets, farm stands and markets, community supported agriculture programs, food cooperatives, mobile markets, and delivery and distribution projects that improve the availability and quality of fresh produce and other healthy foods
Other projects, including outreach programs, that improve the availability and quality of fresh produce and other healthy foods

11. Addressing the need for healthy foods in underserved communities
29.7 million Americans across the United States live in food deserts, according to the USDA
Communities that have no or distant grocery stores, or have an imbalance of healthy food options, will likely have increased premature death and chronic health conditions
Food deserts are most commonly found in communities of color and low-income areas – studies have found that wealthy districts have three times as many supermarkets as poor ones do, and white neighborhoods contain an average of four times as many supermarkets as predominantly African-American communities
Sources:
United States Department of Agriculture: Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food, Food Deserts and Their Consequences: Report to Congress (2009).
Mari Gallagher Research & Consulting Group (2006). “Examining the Impact of Food Deserts on Public Health in Chicago.” [online]:
Food Empowerment Project. [online]:

12. Food Environments and Chronic Disease
More research is needed to establish causal relationships between food access and health outcomes, BUT….
People who live near an abundance of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores compared to grocery stores and fresh produce vendors, have a significantly higher prevalence of obesity and diabetes
Low-income people, minorities, and rural residents suffer the highest rates of preventable, diet-related diseases linked to insufficient consumption of healthy foods
Sources:
Designed for Disease: The Link Between Local Food Environments and Obesity and Diabetes. California Center for Public Health Advocacy, PolicyLink, and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. April 2008.
Access to Healthy Foods in Low-Income Neighborhoods: Opportunities for Public Policy. Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Yale University

14. Indianapolis ranks worst in the nation for food deserts.
According to Walk Score, Indianapolis ranks last in the nation for the percentage of people who have easy access to food.
Half of the Indianapolis east side is designated a food desert by the USDA.

15. We need a statewide program to bring food retailers to our rural and urban communities, and to provide more access to fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, seafood, and lean meats.

16. Advocate for Healthy Food Financing Initiatives Fund
Establish a statewide program to increase the availability of fresh and nutritious food, including fruits and vegetables, in underserved communities by providing financing for retailers and non-profit organizations to open, renovate, or expand food establishments.
Public private partnership
Grants and loans
Flexible, customized financing designed to meet the credit needs of retailers
Proven model to address the need for better healthy food access in underserved communities

17. HFFI programs can assist local business owners to open, expand, and improve grocery stores and corner stores in neighborhoods that need food and jobs the most.
Funding can also be used for other projects including outreach programs, farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture programs, mobile markets, and delivery/distribution projects that improve the availability and quality of fresh produce and other healthy foods.
Every Hoosier should have easy access to affordable, nutritious food and healthy food financing programs can help!

18. Healthy Food Financing Program Model
Fresh Food Retail Projects in Underserved Communities
Supermarkets
Small grocery stores
Co-ops, farmers markets, and other “non-traditional” formats
Community Development Financial Institution & Food Access Organization
Raise private capital
Provide financing
Determine applicant eligibility
Market program, advocate for community
Government or Foundation
Provide seed funding
Oversee program implementation

19. Healthy Food Financing Initiative Implementation Process
Grocer applies for financial incentives to build or expand store in a food desert.
Food access organization screens for eligibility.
CDFI provides customized financing to support store.

20. HFFI: A Model with a History of Success
Pennsylvania – In 2004, Pennsylvania created the nation’s first statewide program to address the lack of fresh food availability in its communities: the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative (FFFI)
The Reinvestment Fund, a CDFI, used the state’s $30 million capital to leverage an additional $146 million in other sources of public and private capital
The Food Trust partnered with The Reinvestment Fund to co-administer the initiative. Since its launch, the initiative has approved nearly 90 new and expanded fresh food retail projects across the state for funding
The Fresh Food Financing Initiative has created or retained over 5,000 jobs and increased access for an estimated 500,000 people

21. Healthy Food Financing Programs Across the Country
Location
Name of Program
Types of Financing
California
California Fresh Works Fund
Loans: Up to $8 million
Grants: Up to $50,000
Colorado
Colorado Fresh Food Financing Fund
Loans: Up to $1.5 million per project
Grants: $100,000 per project
Illinois
Illinois Fresh Food Fund
Loans: Range from $250,000 to $1 million
Grants: Only available to those who are also applying for a loan. The grant amount can be up to 10% of the loan amount, not to exceed $100,000
Louisiana
New Orleans Fresh Food Retailer Initiative
Loans: CDBG loans not to exceed $1 million
Forgivable Loans: Up to $500,000 or 20% of total financing needs
Mid South (Louisiana, Mississippi, Memphis)
Mid South Healthy Food Initiative
Loans and Forgivable Loans: financing packages vary

22. Michigan Good Food Fund (MGFF)
Location
Name of Program
Types of Financing
Michigan
Michigan Good Food Fund (MGFF)
Loans: Loans range from $5,000 to $6,000,000
Grants: Limited grant dollars that must be paired with loans
New Jersey
New Jersey Food Access Initiative
Loans: Range in size from $200,000 to $4.5 million
Grants: Range in size from $5,000 to $125,000
Recoverable Grants: Early-stage financing with no-interest loans
New York
New York Healthy Food & Healthy Communities Fund
Loans: Range in size from $250,000 to $5 million
Grants: Range in size from $5,000 to $500,000 for capital grants and $5,000 to $200,000 for predevelopment grants
Ohio
Healthy Food for Ohio program
Loans: Up to $5 million and 10 years
Forgivable Loans: Available up to 20% of funds provided by the HFFO program
Grants: Up to $250,000

23. Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative
Location
Name of Program
Types of Financing
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative
Loans: Ranged in size from $200,000 to $3.5 million
Grants: Up to $250,000 per store and $750,000 in total for one operator
Federal
Healthy Food Financing Initiative
Financing packages vary: HFFI dollars are given to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and Community Development Corporations (CDCs) to provide one-time grants and loans to projects in their region

25. Where are we now?
The Indiana Healthy Food Access Coalition meets monthly to discuss strategies and plan advocacy activities
The Coalition hosted an Advocacy Summit during the summer of 2016
We hold town hall meetings periodically across the state to build grassroots support for HFFI – the next one will be in Michigan City on January 11th
Legislation creating HFFI program has had broad support, but hasn’t been passed yet
In October 2017, an interim study committee officially recommended that the state legislature address the issue of food deserts
Non-budget year, so this year we are just hoping to pass legislation that creates the program and opens the fund
People interested in supporting this issue should contact their lawmaker and ask them to support Healthy Food Financing Initiatives
Third House Sessions across the state
Healthy Food Access Day at the Statehouse sometime in February
Visit our website!

26. Get out your smartphone and text
CARROT to 46839
Then click the link you receive to sign our online petition in support of Healthy Food Access initiatives!
*After signing, you will receive periodic s from the American Heart Association about this and other public policy initiatives. You may opt-out at any time.

27. Key Messages
Nearly 30 million people in communities across America don’t have stores that offer healthy foods in their community. These same communities often struggle with high rates of unemployment and diet-related chronic disease.
Improving access to healthy food through healthy food financing brings a triple benefit to communities: revitalized economy, job creation, and better health.

28. Questions?
For more information about the Indiana Healthy Food Access Coalition, or to request advocacy materials, please contact Naima Gardner at :