Study finds food insecurity remains in historically redlined neighborhoods

Bad housing, high crime, and poor schools have emerged as the primary barriers to healthy food access in neighborhoods that were historically subjected to redlining, a discriminatory practice that denied loans, insurance, and mortgages to residents in predominantly minority areas. A recent analysis of food deserts in these communities found that these social determinants outweigh traditional factors such as transportation availability or household income when it comes to residents’ ability to purchase nutritious foods.

The study compared a range of variables across former redlined districts and discovered that the quality of housing stock, local crime rates, and school performance scores were strongly correlated with the presence of supermarkets and fresh‑produce outlets. In contrast, proximity to grocery stores and the median income of residents showed weaker associations. The findings suggest that systemic inequities rooted in historical segregation continue to shape food environments long after the legal prohibition of redlining.

These results underscore the need for policies that address the underlying social conditions—improving housing standards, reducing crime, and investing in schools—to create healthier food landscapes in marginalized neighborhoods. By targeting these factors, city planners and public health officials can more effectively close the gap in access to nutritious food for communities that have endured decades of exclusion.