With so Many Residents on Food Stamps, why are there food deserts in New York City?

[Seymour Flops]

At least that is the claim of the future mayor who wants to open government run food stores.

Mamdani proposes a network of city-owned grocery stores that do not pay rent or property taxes, which will allow them to keep food prices low. They are designed “to lower prices, not price gouging,” Mamdani explains in a video

Twenty percent of New York city residents receive snap benefits almost thirty percent in the Bronx receive them.

Emergency Food in NYC - Data Team Emergency Food in NYC

Millions of tax dollars are spent providing these snap benefits, and then more millions are spent on government programs.
To revitalize so called "food deserts."

Why would there be areas in which junk food, but no healthy food is available, when the whole idea of the snap program is to allow the poor to buy healthy food?

New York's $10 Million Initiative to Combat Food Deserts and Promote Healthy Eating - NYC Food Policy Center (Hunter College) New York's $10 Million Initiative to Combat Food Deserts and Promote Healthy Eating - NYC Food Policy Center (Hunter College)

Two obvious answers readily occur to me. But I would like to hear input from others before I give my take on that.

 

[buckeye]

Government run food stores.....sounds North Korean or Russian. Are they filled with products labeled in black and white and look like the old generic stuff?

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Mamdani proposes a network of city-owned grocery stores that do not pay rent or property taxes, which will allow them to keep food prices low.

Who is going to be happy to provide rent-free space for these stores?

They are designed “to lower prices, not price gouging,”

Will shoplifting be illegal in these stores?

 

[Seymour Flops]

Who is going to be happy to provide rent-free space for these stores?

They are designed “to lower prices, not price gouging,”

Will shoplifting be illegal in these stores?

I'm not sure exactly what he means, by not having to pay rent. Maybe there are properties that the city already owns. But being a socialist t misunderstands the economics of the situation.

There is opportunity cost to using such expensive real estate for a venture that will not generate a profit. So in that sense, the city will pay "rent" in the form of whatever rents they could have collected but sacrifice for these government run food stores.

I'm sure shoplifting would be completely legal. If it is wrong to deny a hungry person a flat screen TV, how much more wrong to deny that hungry person a big bottle of orange drank, or a couple boxes of Ho Ho's?

 

[Crepitus]

At least that is the claim of the future mayor who wants to open government run food stores.

Mamdani proposes a network of city-owned grocery stores that do not pay rent or property taxes, which will allow them to keep food prices low. They are designed “to lower prices, not price gouging,” Mamdani explains in a video

Twenty percent of New York city residents receive snap benefits almost thirty percent in the Bronx receive them.

Emergency Food in NYC - Data Team Emergency Food in NYC

Millions of tax dollars are spent providing these snap benefits, and then more millions are spent on government programs.
To revitalize so called "food deserts."

Why would there be areas in which junk food, but no healthy food is available, when the whole idea of the snap program is to allow the poor to buy healthy food?

New York's $10 Million Initiative to Combat Food Deserts and Promote Healthy Eating - NYC Food Policy Center (Hunter College) New York's $10 Million Initiative to Combat Food Deserts and Promote Healthy Eating - NYC Food Policy Center (Hunter College)

Two obvious answers readily occur to me. But I would like to hear input from others before I give my take on that.

Alternative thread title:

Tell me you don't know what a food desert is without saying you don't know what a food desert is.

 

[martybegan]

Who is going to be happy to provide rent-free space for these stores?

They are designed “to lower prices, not price gouging,”

Will shoplifting be illegal in these stores?

He seems to forget places like Bodegas can't benefit from economies of scale like supermarkets, and you pay for the convenience of being able to get a bacon egg and cheese sandwich and a six pack of bud at 4AM.

 

[martybegan]

Alternative thread title:

Tell me you don't know what a food desert is without saying you don't know what a food desert is.

A food desert is a made up concept to pretend supermarkets are usually less than 1 mile away from any given point in NYC.

Maybe 2 miles. and there are buses that can take you there and back.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Alternative thread title:

Tell me you don't know what a food desert is without saying you don't know what a food desert is.

Is that when crazy taxes, stupid regulations and high crime makes it impossible
to run a grocery store in a democrat run area?

 

[Seymour Flops]

A food desert is a made up concept to pretend supermarkets are usually less than 1 mile away from any given point in NYC.

Maybe 2 miles. and there are buses that can take you there and back.

Not to mention that snap cards can be used for groceries that are delivered.

It looks like walmart is on the list of food stores that will deliver two.It's not benefit recipients. I wonder why new york city residents don't just order from walmart?

Crepitus, maybe you have an explanation for that?

Where Can I Pay With EBT Online? Where Can I Pay With EBT Online?

Key Takeaways​

• If trips to the grocery store are a challenge, many retailers and stores allow you to use your SNAP EBT card for grocery delivery and pickup.
• Amazon, Walmart, and Target just some of the retailers that accept online EBT payments for SNAP-eligible food items.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

 

[citygator]

Supply and demand guys. There is a high demand for land in NYC thus you get high real estate prices. With high rent prices you get fewer grocery stores which means a low supply of groceries leading to high food prices. That’s it.

 

[martybegan]

Supply and demand guys. There is a high demand for land in NYC thus you get high real estate prices. With high rent prices you get fewer grocery stores which means a low supply of groceries leading to high food prices. That’s it.

You can't put a grocery store in the lower level of an apartment complex designed for retail to be part of said lower level?

It's not the people in the expensive neighborhoods complaining they can't get to a grocery store or a supermarket.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Supply and demand guys. There is a high demand for land in NYC thus you get high real estate prices. With high rent prices you get fewer grocery stores which means a low supply of groceries leading to high food prices. That’s it.

Why are so many poor people living in an area with such high land prices?

 

[citygator]

You can't put a grocery store in the lower level of an apartment complex designed for retail to be part of said lower level?

It's not the people in the expensive neighborhoods complaining they can't get to a grocery store or a supermarket.

You can do anything with money.

But…First there isn’t that much space available at once and second what goes for $15 per sqft in a metropolitan suburb in the south or Midwest goes for $50-$125 in moderate locations and over $100 in good locations. SoHo and places like that reach $600-700 per sqft. People live in 400sft studios and 600 sqft 1-bedroom apartments.

 

[martybegan]

You can do anything with money.

But…First there isn’t that much space available at once and second what goes for $15 per sqft in a metropolitan suburb in the south or Midwest goes for $50-$125 in moderate locations and over $100 in good locations. SoHo and places like that reach $600-700 per sqft. People live in 400sft studios and 600 sqft 1-bedroom apartments.

People aren't complaining about food deserts in NYC where the property values are high enough to deter retailers.

 

[Seymour Flops]

Why are so many poor people living in an area with such high land prices?

Now, that is a good freakin' question!

 

[citygator]

People aren't complaining about food deserts in NYC where the property values are high enough to deter retailers.

Because there is bougie food places that charge a zillion dollars for an apple that wealthy people dont bat an eye at. Ever been to NYC?

 

[Seymour Flops]

Supply and demand guys. There is a high demand for land in NYC thus you get high real estate prices. With high rent prices you get fewer grocery stores which means a low supply of groceries leading to high food prices. That’s it.

But, there is rent free space available for food retailers, according to the future mayor of New York.

Why not give Walmart some free real estate, and not charge them property taxes as the next mayor has proposed for his government-run grocery stores?

 

[citygator]

Why are so many poor people living in an area with such high land prices?

There is more subsidized public housing in NYC than any other city in the country, by quite a wide margin. It's scattered throughout the city but in Manhattan it's particularly clustered in the LES and Northern Manhattan. There is also a lot more funding for vouchers, nonprofit housing, etc. than in other places due to state laws and NYC's huge tax base. There are also still about a million rent-stabilized units.

Still, a ton of working-class people are living in overcrowded conditions in the outer boroughs, or living in black-market sublets of subsidized spaces, or commuting in from neighboring states.

 

[Seymour Flops]

If Walmart wanted to open a "Neighborhood Market" (like a regular Walmart with with less general merchandice, like toys and clothes), in the worst food desert in New York City, would it be welcomed by the city, and provided incentives?

 

[EvilCat Breath]

Mamdani expects no rent, nota especially, no payment utilities, crime will wither away because everything is free. Defund the police, legalize drugs, sex work and guarantee everyone basic dignity.