The City Council approved a hearing for Wednesday to examine the feasibility of publicly owned grocery stores to strengthen Boston’s food infrastructure. This comes in response to reports that 40,000 residents will lose SNAP benefits under the ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ the closure of several local co-ops, and historically high prices at checkout.
“Developing alternative modes of food access is vital at this point,” said Breadon. “We have residents in the City of Boston who live across the street from wonderful grocery stores, but they may be on limited income, they may be retirees or folks with disabilities, they may be single parents trying to raise a family.”
“In East Boston, far too many residents live in what’s considered a food desert,” Said District 1 Councilor Gabriela Coleta Zapatta. “Family, seniors, and immigrants struggle to find affordable and healthy grocery stores close to home, because we only have one grocery store that is monopolizing everything in the entire neighborhood, and it’s not even transit-adjacent.”
Grocery chains in Boston have been found to gouge prices in inner-city stores. In 2023, the Hyde Park Task Force found that the Quincy-based Stop & Shop was overcharging on staple grocery items at its Jamaica Plain location. As of April, prices at the Grove Hall, South Bay, and Mission Hill locations remain higher than those at suburban stores.
The idea of a municipal response has gained popularity after New York City mayoral candidate Zorhan Mamdani called for a network of rent- and tax-exempt stores aimed at keeping prices low.
Similar operations have opened their doors across the country to combat food deserts and accommodate residents who may not be able to travel for their groceries. Baldwin, Florida, made headlines in 2019 when the town stepped in after all the town’s for-profit grocers closed. The Baldwin Market was celebrated by elderly and disabled residents, but ultimately closed in 2024.
Still, Atlanta, Georgia, opened the publicly owned Azalea Fresh Market last month, and similar ventures are currently underway in Madison, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Illinois.
At-Large Councilor Ruthzee Louijenne said she hopes the hearing will look into how the city might support non-profit grocers, increase urban farming, and analyze what has been working in other communities. “These are examples that exist that we can continue to work on, and a hearing can give us the opportunity to examine what we can do better as a city,” she said.
The hearing will not establish any stores overnight, nor are there any active plans to open one in Boston.“Rather, the goal is to provide services to the vulnerable populations we know are currently being ignored by the private market,” Breadon said in a statement.
A date for this hearing has yet to be set. Representatives from the Office of Food Justice, GrowBoston, the Boston Public Health Commission, and community-based organizations, non-profits, and local stakeholders have been invited to attend.
Jacob Downey is a contributor to Caught in Dot. He is formerly of The Clock, Plymouth State University’s award-winning student newspaper. He enjoys spending time with his two kittens – Gin and Tonic – reading Uncanny X-Men and writing about local government meetings.
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