When a town doesn’t have a grocery store, it means people don’t have access to food. But grocery stores also play an essential social and economic role in rural places. Community stores are trying to fill in the void.

Jack Healy writes about the growing problem of food deserts in small towns across the country as grocery stores shut down and dollar stores proliferate. "The loss of grocery stores can feel like a cruel joke when you live surrounded by farmland. About 5 million people in rural areas have to travel 10 miles or more to buy groceries, according to the Department of Agriculture."
Some communities are responding by starting up what are referred to as "community stores," essentially co-ops that are stocked with staples but also sell locally produced products. A few states offer financial assistance, such as tax credits and loans, for small-town markets in food deserts. "But mostly, the people setting up crowd-funding sites to buy vegetable coolers and negotiating wholesale rates with huge grocery chains say they are stumbling around with little assistance and no map," says Healy.
In additional to the financial challenges, organizers say getting these operations off the ground is not easy. For one, they have to convince residents to stop shopping at Walmart and dollar stores, and they have to find wholesalers who will provide them the stock they need. But, they say, grocery stores are key to keeping these towns alive. "Their exodus has left rural towns worried about how they can hold on to families, businesses and their future if there is nowhere to buy even a banana," notes Healy.
FULL STORY: Farm Country Feeds America. But Just Try Buying Groceries There.

Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.

EV Chargers Now Outnumber Gas Pumps by Nearly 50% in California
Fast chargers still lag behind amidst rapid growth.

Affordable Housing Renovations Halt Mid-Air Amidst DOGE Clawbacks
HUD may rescind over a billion dollars earmarked for green building upgrades.

Has Anyone at USDOT Read Donald Shoup?
USDOT employees, who are required to go back to the office, will receive free parking at the agency’s D.C. offices — flying in the face of a growing research body that calls for pricing parking at its real value.
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