Following Decades of Community Pleas, Legislation Passes Unanimously Declaring Full-Service Grocery Store in the Tenderloin an Urgent Priority
Today, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously voted in favor of bringing a full-service grocery store to the Tenderloin, declaring it an urgent priority. The resolution directs City departments to report on their efforts to date, potential sites, and any current plans to bring a much-needed grocery store to the Tenderloin without further delay.
The resolution was introduced by District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston, who represents the Tenderloin, a highly-populated working-class neighborhood which has not had a full-service grocery store for decades. The majority of Tenderloin residents lack access to a car and rely on walking or public transportation to reach the nearest full-service grocery store, which is typically half a mile away, and can be difficult for seniors and those with mobility issues. While some corner stores have stepped up over the years to offer fresh produce and meats in the absence of a full neighborhood grocery store, size constraints limit what they can offer. As a result, residents must visit multiple stores to find all the items they need at affordable prices.
Since introduction, the Board of Supervisors has received letters of support from numerous community based organizations, including Compass Family Services, Code Tenderloin, Curry Senior Center, GLIDE, Lower Polk Neighbors, St. Anthony’s Foundation, The Tenderloin Peoples’ Congress, and Veterans Alley, among others.
“This is an important step in addressing food insecurity in the Tenderloin,” said Supervisor Preston. “The vote today sends a message that the Board of Supervisors has heard the community’s demands for a grocery store, and urges the Administration to act with urgency to make this happen for the health and well being of Tenderloin residents.”
The resolution has also received support from individuals who live and work in the Tenderloin, who have called and emailed their gratitude for this important step. Christopher Mika, a Tenderloin resident who cooks daily in his SRO unit, created both a paper and online petition to elevate neighborhood support. Created just days ago, the petitions already have more than 200 signatures from neighborhood residents.
“The Tenderloin needs an affordable, accessible full-service grocery store that is dedicated to serving the working class communities that live here, preferably with an expansive and beautiful produce section,” said Mika, in a statement to Preston’s office. “I have had no problem at all collecting signatures for the petition to support getting a grocery in the Tenderloin -- everybody says yes across the board! You can see from the overwhelming popularity of Heart of the City Farmers’ Market that demand for quality produce is here. The neighborhood has been asking for this for years, and personally I’d love it if I didn’t have to travel across town to find French parsley or mustard greens. I’m grateful to Dean Preston’s office for putting this resolution forward! ”
This resolution aligns with Supervisor Preston’s extensive work to address food insecurity in underserved parts of the District, including urging the California State Legislature to provide supplemental CalFresh benefits, winning Halal Food Vouchers in the Tenderloin in the last budget cycle, supporting the Heart of the City Farmers Market in the face of displacement, delaying the abrupt closure of the Fillmore’s only full-scale grocery store, and championing the recently announced Grocery Protection Act.
