SWANSEA – State Senator Christopher Belt announced new funding is available under the Illinois Grocery Initiative through the New Stores in Food Deserts, Equipment Upgrades and Grocery Rescue grant programs – representing a $26 million effort to address food deserts and prevent grocery store closures in communities across the state.
“The Metro East has been hit hard with grocery chain closures. Seeing the Cahokia Heights Walmart and the East St. Louis Save-A-Lot closed within days of each other in 2023 left our residents in a number of municipalities with even less fresh food options,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “As the Senate sponsor of the Illinois Grocery Initiative and a steadfast advocate of the program for the last three years, I’m incredibly proud to announce this current round of funding, ensuring communities across the 57th District have the opportunity to obtain new store funding, equipment upgrades and business incentives.”
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The new Grocery Rescue Program will support efforts to reopen stores that have closed within the preceding 12 months. This program is designed to prevent long-term food access loss in low-access tracts, preventing the formation of new food deserts. Funding can be used for store acquisition, repair, refurbishing property and equipment and some first-year operating costs.
The New Stores in Food Deserts Program will support the establishment of new grocery stores in food deserts. This round of funding will integrate a pharmacy component to help to address the lack of access to prescription medications, flu shots and more that confront some communities. These grants will fund construction and renovation costs for new stores as well as operations costs, including employee wages, utility costs and initial inventory of food, for the first two years after opening.
The Equipment Upgrades Program provides funding for energy-efficient equipment upgrades for existing grocery stores, with priority given to those located in food-insecure communities across the state. This program is designed to strengthen existing grocery stores and preserve access to fresh food to prevent the formation of new food deserts.
The Belt-led Illinois Grocery Initiative has distributed $19 million in funding since 2024, including nearly $17 million to build eight new grocery stores across the state and $2 million to assist 14 stores with upgrading equipment. The latest round of funding will build on this progress while helping open grocery stores that have recently closed.
Applications for the New Stores in Food Deserts Program will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Dec. 9, while applications for the Grocery Rescue Program and Equipment Upgrades Program will be accepted on a rolling basis.
