Garza to seek food desert answers in Houston trip

On Friday, City Council Member Delia Garza will journey to Houston to learn strategies that could help Austin incentivize grocery stores in food deserts – areas with limited access to vital nutritional items like fresh meat and produce. In response to its food desert and obesity problems, the city of Houston has been aggressive in finding ways to encourage grocery stores to open in areas where they are desperately needed. In Austin, Latinos, who make up the overwhelming majority of Garza’s District 2, bear the brunt of food insecurity. Garza will be flanked by Office of Sustainability members, and she hopes the group can take away some of the lessons Houston learned to help Austin do the same thing for neighborhoods in District 2 and across the city.