Thu October 4, 2012 Eliminating food deserts in Cincinnati A
recent report suggests Cincinnati set-up a $15 million fund to
attract grocery stores to city neighborhoods that are currently
described as food deserts. These are geographic areas with low
access to affordable, healthy food. A study finds there are 24
supermarkets in the Cincinnati metropolitan area, putting the
region below the national average by about 10 stores. It shows
as a result, lower-income residents in some areas have to rely
on expensive and limited corner stores, or travel long distances
to shop for food. Those same residents also typically have diets
that rely on fast food too. Council Member Wendell Young has
been working on the food desert issue. His Rules and Government
Operations Committee heard a presentation last month. “The most
obvious thing is you get grocery stores into these
neighborhoods. And if you do that, you can begin to reverse this
trend,” Young said. “And then how do you do that? They suggest
that it be a partnership