District 5 Supervisor Mahmood says that the Affordable Groceries Act would have created a tax on large chain stores that left their buildings vacant. The money would have been used to bring grocers back to neighborhoods.
Since the measure didn’t pass, Mahmood is pivoting to three new proposals. The first would restore funding to the Healthy Retail SF program, which helps corner stores sell fresh produce. The second would expand programs that help cover permitting and construction costs for new grocery stores. The third involves zoning changes, including new incentives for housing developments that include a grocery store on the ground floor.
Mahmood is calling it the New Affordable Grocery Act. The Supervisor will introduce the drafting requests for the new package at today’s Board of Supervisors meeting.
