Boston City Council Considers Public-Owned Grocery Stores to Address Food Insecurity

The Boston City Council held a hearing on Thursday, Nov. 20, to discuss city-owned grocery stores as one of several measures to combat food insecurity. Councilors said that the recent prolonged government shutdown only intensified the need to protect essential public services, such as the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“We need to explore all the options to try and figure out how we are able to deliver better food access that's affordable, easily accessible, and culturally appropriate for our residents,” Councilor Liz Breadon, one of three co-sponsors of the proposal, said at the hearing covered by The Boston Globe.

Supporters of city-owned grocery stores have advocated the stores' benefits as a way to lower food costs, given that they wouldn't have to factor in rent or overhead costs in their prices for consumers.

Councilors discussed different models of city investment into grocery stores and nonprofit partners.

Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune addressed the New Jersey Food Desert Relief Act, which offers tax credits for the development and initial operations of supermarkets in food deserts, as a possible model. Louijeune expressed interest in supporting nonprofit food partners and asked about conducting a feasibility study for a city-owned grocery store.

However, running a public grocery store is no easy matter.

Key hurdles include warehouse and cold storage needs, transportation, and competition with large chains, according to The Boston Globe. Jack Kenslea, political director for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, told the Globe that city-owned stores work best when they're owned by the city but operated privately to leverage existing operational networks and reduce rent on city land.

Additionally, urban stores often struggle with smaller cart sizes because customers travel to stores by public transit or on foot. These limitations reduce the volume of sales, Kenslea added.

Community advocates who addressed the council at the hearing warn that small grocers run thin margins and could close without sustained support. They urge increased shopper traffic and targeted local sourcing to strengthen co-ops and neighborhood access.

Louijeune said she anticipates more hearings on the topic and welcomes the perspectives of managers of city-owned grocery stores in other cities.