Atlanta City Council approves $1.5 million food grant program

ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council announced it had approved a more than $1.5 million budget item to create and manage an economic opportunity fund for food access to low-income residents.

The ordinance, which was noted as “favorable” on Aug. 29 according to council records, creates a fund to establish a food access grant program, help with job creation through incentives to businesses, encourage investments, and provide tools to areas lacking access to quality groceries and fresh food in the city.

As written, the ordinance reallocates the funds from past Economic Opportunity Fund grants.

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According to the relevant documents from the city council, the fund management duties will fall to Invest Atlanta.

Going forward, the $1.525 million will be used to spur growth and attract grocers to areas of the City of Atlanta with low-income and low access to fresh foods.

The funding, by extension, will be used to develop sites for the sale of affordable, quality fresh food and job creation, as well as capital investment in the city.

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The funds for the newly designated program will be drawn from four previous EOF grants, according to city officials.

Records state the EOf grants were awarded, but not drawn down, by the following companies and in the following amounts.

• Anthem, Inc - $850,000
• Asurion - $500,000
• Sage North America - $100,000
• Global Payments - $75,000

Put simply, by officials, the program will use the reallocated $1.525 million to provide more fresh food access through the city.

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