Food access
Affordable, healthy and culturally relevant food for residents who struggle to get enough.
Residents consistently ask for affordable fresh food close to home: markets, grocery stores, pantries and fridges, gardens, and delivery.
Theme grouped and summary written with AI from this theme's resident ideas.
144 ideas across three cycles
| Cycle | Ideas | Share of all ideas | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 29 | 2.4% | 18 of 20 |
| 2025–26 | 45 | 3.7% | 12 of 20 |
| 2026–27 | 70 | 5.3% | 6 of 20 |
Needs that keep coming back
Farmers markets and fresh produce markets
Residents want frequent, affordable neighborhood markets, including open-air markets like Haymarket, and in 2026-27 help paying for produce through farmers market coupons.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Food pantries, community fridges and free food sites
Residents ask for more places to get free food, including pantries, community fridges and surplus-food rescue, and later also ask that fridges be kept in working order.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Affordable community or city-run grocery stores
Residents in neighborhoods they describe as food deserts want an affordable, healthy grocery store nearby, increasingly framed as a city-owned or community-owned store.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Community gardens and growing food locally
Residents ask for funding and space to grow food in gardens, on underused land and in parks so low-income households can get fresh produce.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Bringing food to people who can't easily get it
Residents want food delivered to seniors and people with disabilities, or brought to low-income neighborhoods through mobile trucks and kiosks.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
2024–25
Ideas focused on farmers markets, pantries and fridges, surplus food rescue, and funding for grassroots groups, with several neighborhood-specific asks in Brighton and Allston.
2025–26
Ideas broadened to mobile grocery trucks, community-owned grocery stores and co-ops, pay-it-forward food programs, cooking education, and concern about federal SNAP cuts.
2026–27
Ideas rose to 70 and clustered around city-owned grocery stores, especially at the Blanchards site in Allston, and adding $2 million to the farmers market coupon program.
New in 2026–27
New or growing in 2026-27 are city-owned grocery stores (with many repeated asks for the Allston Blanchards site), a $2 million increase to farmers market coupons, help enrolling in SNAP, home container gardening kits, and free meals for people experiencing homelessness.
Funding so far
Winning projects fund nonprofit food assistance, community gardens and neighborhood fresh food access, but none yet address the recurring asks for city-owned or community grocery stores, farmers market coupons and markets, or food delivery for seniors.
Projects are linked to themes by matching each project's description to the themes; this is not an official City classification.
Expand Access to Fresh Foods
2024–25 · $400,000
This proposal will offer grants to nonprofit organizations to bolster assistance programs for Boston residents facing food insecurity.
Community Gardens in Neighborhoods with Limited Affordable Food Access
2024–25 · $500,000 · related theme
This proposal will offer grants to nonprofit organizations to build community gardens on underutilized land for public access and use.
Neighborhood Fresh Food Access Initiative
2025–26 · $500,000
This proposal provides funds to local organizations to increase access to healthy food in neighborhoods with higher food insecurity rates.
Departments that often lead this work
- Office of Food Justice
- Boston Public Health Commission
Suggested with AI; not an official assignment of responsibility.
Ideas in Food access
144 ideas
2024–25: 29 · 2025–26: 45 · 2026–27: 70
- Food support and jobs for immigrant youthThe resident asks for food assistance and employment opportunities for immigrant youth, to improve their living conditions and health and help them settle in the community.2026–27Jamaica PlainSubmitted in Spanish
- More food access and legal helpThe resident asks for more access to food and for legal assistance.2026–27City-wide
- More food access and sports courtsThe resident asks for more food, better access to food and more courts, so that everyone can get food.2026–27City-wide
- More food access for studentsThe resident asks for more access to and help with food for students.2026–27Jamaica Plain
- Lower food prices, community resources and senior helpWriting in Spanish, the resident asks for lower food prices, more community resources and help for older adults, and for funding to be taken from ICE and the police.2026–27City-wide
- Education, economy and food accessThe resident asks for improvements in education, the economy and food access, without further detail.2026–27City-wide
- Food access and shelterThe resident asks for better access to food and shelter.2026–27City-wide
- Health, wellness and food access for the communityThe resident wants improved health and wellness, sustainable environments and food access, and says sharing resources would improve racial and social equality.2026–27City-wide
- Food and housing needsResident lists food and housing as priorities, without specific details.2026–27City-wide
- Food and health needsResident lists food and health as priorities, without specific details.2026–27City-wide
- Community healthy cooking lessonsOffer community cooking lessons on healthy meals that anyone can join.2025–26City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- Reopen Daily TableResident asks to reopen Daily Table, an affordable food store.2025–26City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- Support for affordable, healthy, reliable groceriesCreate a program supporting high-quality, reliable, affordable and healthy groceries, since nutritious affordable food matters to everyone.2025–26City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- Make the Daily Table business model sustainableHelp make Daily Table's business model sustainable so food reaches the neighborhoods that need it.2025–26City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- Fund food assistance amid federal SNAP cutsResident asks for funds to address food insecurity, noting SNAP could use support because of federal cuts.2025–26City-wide
- Youth-led surplus food rescue networkResident asks to support and expand a youth-led network that redirects surplus business food to shelters and food-insecure families, reducing waste and hunger.2025–26City-wide
- Community-owned healthy grocery storeResident asks for a community-owned grocery selling healthy, chemical-free local food to improve health, keep money in the neighborhood and counter large chains.2025–26Dorchester
- Community fridges, commuter aid and cost-of-living fundResident proposes community fridges and kitchens with local partners, commuter subsidies for low-income workers, and an emergency cost-of-living fund offering quick cash or supplies for rent, transit or food hardship.2025–26City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Improve school lunchResident raises school lunch as a concern, saying people don't eat.2025–26City-wide
- Distribute fresh farm food to those in needResident asks for fresh food from farmers, not frozen or fried, to be given to those who need it most so everyone gets nutrition.2025–26City-wide