IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 975 
Recognizing the potential for a national fresh food financing initiative to 
provide an effective and economically sustainable solution to the problem 
of limited access to healthy foods in underserved urban, suburban, and 
rural low-income communities, while also improving health and stimu-
lating local economic development. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 15, 2009 
Ms. SCHWARTZ (for herself, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. MEEK of Flor-
ida, Mr. PASTOR
of Arizona, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. GERLACH, Mr. 
HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. 
VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. 
SERRANO, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. PLATTS, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. 
RANGEL, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. CHU, Mrs. DAHLKEMPER, Mr. HONDA, Mr. 
DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. SUTTON, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Ms. WATSON, 
Mr. INSLEE, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. CLARKE, Mr. CARDOZA, Mr. HIN-
CHEY, and Ms. WOOLSEY) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Agriculture 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the potential for a national fresh food financing 
initiative to provide an effective and economically sus-
tainable solution to the problem of limited access to 
healthy foods in underserved urban, suburban, and rural 
low-income communities, while also improving health and 
stimulating local economic development. 
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•HRES 975 IH 
Whereas the Nation faces an obesity epidemic in which 30.5 
percent of children ages 10 through 17 are overweight or 
obese; 
Whereas the obesity epidemic contributes to increasing rates 
of chronic illness, including diabetes, heart disease, and 
cancer; 
Whereas the obesity epidemic cost the country $147 billion in 
medical expenses in 2008, and this cost is expected to 
rise in the future; 
Whereas the Department of Agriculture conservatively esti-
mates that more than 23 million Americans live in low- 
income communities and do not have access to a super-
market or large grocery store within one mile of their 
home; 
Whereas more than 70 studies show that access to healthy 
food is particularly a problem in many low-income urban 
and rural communities and minority communities, and 
studies have shown that better access to healthy food in 
low-income and minority communities is linked to lower 
levels of obesity and better health outcomes; 
Whereas children from low-income families are twice as likely 
to be overweight as those from higher income families, 
and African-American and Hispanic children are more 
likely than Caucasian children to be obese; 
Whereas studies show that when healthy foods are available, 
people will increase their consumption of fruits and vege-
tables; 
Whereas leading public health experts, including the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Heart 
Association, the Institute of Medicine, and the American 
Public Health Association, agree that providing improved 
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•HRES 975 IH 
access to supermarkets and large grocery stores is needed 
to improve public health and prevent obesity; 
Whereas developing high quality fresh food retail outlets cre-
ates jobs, expands markets for farmers in the United 
States, and supports economic vitality in underserved 
communities; 
Whereas an innovative State-initiated public-private partner-
ship, the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative, 
is supporting 70 new or improved supermarkets, grocery 
stores, and farmers’ markets in underserved urban and 
rural communities, leveraging a $30 million State grant 
to generate $165 million in private investment, creating 
or retaining more than 4,800 part- and full-time jobs, 
and increasing access to healthy food for more than 
400,000 residents; 
Whereas a single 57,000-square-foot new store financed by 
the Pennsylvania initiative and located in a low-income 
neighborhood in Philadelphia created 370 jobs for area 
residents and generated $540,910 of local tax revenue in 
one year; 
Whereas the Pennsylvania initiative has been nationally rec-
ognized as an innovative model by the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention, the National Conference of 
State Legislatures, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Govern-
ment, and the National Governors Association; 
Whereas the State of New York has recently announced a 
comprehensive effort to increase the number of fresh food 
markets in underserved communities, including a $10 
million State investment to create the Healthy Foods, 
Healthy Communities Initiative, which will provide grants 
and loans to eligible food markets across the State; 
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•HRES 975 IH 
Whereas States across the country, including Illinois, Lou-
isiana, and New Jersey, have recognized the problem of 
food access in many low-income communities and are 
working to create financing programs to encourage super-
markets, grocery stores, and other fresh food markets to 
locate in these underserved communities; and 
Whereas a national fresh food financing initiative would pro-
vide communities across the United States with critical 
one-time loan and grant financing to help fresh food re-
tailers overcome initial barriers to entry into underserved, 
low-income communities, and would support renovation 
and expansion of existing stores so they can provide the 
healthy foods that communities want and need: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recog-
nizes the potential for a national fresh food financing ini-
tiative— 
(1) to provide an effective and economically sus-
tainable solution to the problem of limited access to 
healthy foods in underserved urban, suburban, and 
rural low-income communities; and 
(2) to help reduce health disparities and im-
prove the health of families and children, create 
jobs, and stimulate local economic development in 
low-income communities. 
Æ 
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