The Brief
- State Rep. Michele Rayner is proposing a bill to help local governments fast-track zoning for small grocery stores in these areas.
- Many Tampa Bay neighborhoods qualify as food deserts, where residents struggle to access fresh, affordable groceries.
- The bill aims to expand access to nutritious food while promoting economic growth in underserved communities.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – Large parts of the Tampa Bay region, including both urban and rural areas, meet the USDA’s definition of food deserts. These are low-income areas where residents live far from grocery stores or markets selling fresh food.
What we know:
For many families, that means relying on convenience stores for most of their groceries, making it harder to maintain healthy diets. While the need for nutritious food is clear, for-profit grocers often avoid opening in poorer neighborhoods due to low profit margins and higher operating costs.…