Shackleford gains strong bipartisan support for her food desert legislation

STATEHOUSE   State Rep. Robin Shackleford (D-Indianapolis) has garnered strong bipartisan support for her efforts to eliminate food deserts in the state of Indiana. House Bill 1077, which would establish a healthy food financing program in Indiana, was approved unanimously today by the House Standing Committee on Family, Children & Human Affairs.“What many people do not realize is that there are areas, across Indiana, rural and urban, that have no access to healthy food options. These areas, defined by the USDA as food deserts, are the result of a lack of grocery stores or similar institutions in an area,” said Shackleford.

“About 59 percent of Indiana’s counties are classified as food deserts. Under the provisions established in House Bill 1077, we can put Indiana on a healthy track.”

Shackleford’s legislation would create a loan and grant program, monitored by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, for eligible businesses and nonprofits interested in providing healthy food options to underserved areas.

“The program would give grocery stores, retailers, food distribution companies, farmer’s markets and similar organizations the opportunity to improve the overall health of our communities,” commented Shackleford. “The funds would also support organizations interested in expanding, renovating or providing outreach to the area.

“We need to improve the accessibility of groceries for Indiana residents,” said Shackleford. “The lack of healthy options forces many people to use public transportation just to do their weekly shopping.”

Before the legislation was passed in committee, Shackleford introduced an amendment to the bill that would broaden its scope and make the program more accessible for rural areas.

“It is important that we pay close attention to the issues rural areas face,” said Shackleford. “For a while, food deserts were seen as an urban problem but rural counties are hit just as hard.”

The amendment also requires that all partners participating in the implementation of the project must comply with the bill’s provisions, which include hiring locally and ensuring that at least 50 percent of the provided food is perishable.

Should the bill pass, the program would be effective as of July 1, 2016, which can’t come soon enough for Shackleford.

“There is an urgent need for action to improve our communities. As more stores continue to close across Indiana, the gap grows between people and the food they need to sustain a healthy lifestyle,” said Shackleford. “House Bill 1077 would be the start to closing this gap. The implementation of this program would improve the lives of Hoosiers while boosting our state’s economy, improving residents’ health, increasing jobs and deceasing healthcare costs.”

Since starting at the Statehouse, Shackleford has been a motivating force, urging lawmakers to pass legislation that would improve the lives of low- and middle-income Hoosiers.

“After working on this legislation for a couple of years, I am so pleased to see it gain traction with lawmakers. This has definitely been a group effort,” concluded