Two Boston city councilors pitch government-run grocery stores championed by NYC socialist mayoral candidate

Two Boston city councilors are taking a page out of the New York City socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani s playbook with a push for government-run grocery stores Councilors Liz Breadon and Ruthzee Louijeune the Council president plan to introduce a hearing order Wednesday to discuss the role of publicly-owned grocery stores in addressing food insecurity Their order mentions that various Boston residents live in areas classified as food deserts without access to a nearby grocery store and have seen their household budgets strained by rising food prices since the pandemic necessitating a closer look at sustainable public-sector interventions Publicly-owned grocery stores can be structured to prioritize public benefit over profit enabling lower prices better food access and stronger local sourcing and may operate independently or in partnership with nonprofits cooperatives or private operators Breadon and Louijeune wrote in the order The councilors cited a September Boston Indicators analysis that highlighted how newest federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Initiative more commonly known as SNAP could put tens of thousands of Greater Boston residents at exposure of losing benefits or facing new fences to food access Such information they wrote underscores the importance of local strategies to ensure equitable access to affordable healthy food The councilors hearing order states that other cities and towns across the country have piloted or proposed publicly-owned or supported grocery stores Related Articles Boston Mayor Wu replaces chief of staff ahead of second term South End Lower Roxbury residents plan to launch Mass Cass PAC with questionnaire focused on safety drug use Boston city councilor challenges Mayor Wu to divert White Stadium funds to recovery campus amid Mass and Cass situation Boston City Council backs recovery campus to relieve Mass and Cass drug realm strain Court denies city s motion to dismiss lawsuit alleging unreasonable force by Boston Police at protest Breadon and Louijeune don t mention any municipalities by name but their proposal for Boston follows what has been pitched by the New York City mayoral frontrunner Mamdani The Democratic socialist candidate wants to open five government-run grocery stores in New York to provide low-cost food to underserved residents Breadon and Louijeune are pushing for a Boston City Council hearing on the matter with representatives of city agencies including the Office of Food Justice GrowBoston and the Boston Population Wellness Commission community-based organizers and relevant stakeholders along with interested members of the constituents Boston city councilor Liz Breadon during a meeting at City Hall Matt Stone Boston Herald New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani Photo by Stephanie Keith Getty Images File