CHICAGO – State Senator Javier Loera Cervantes announced that new funding is available through the Illinois Grocery Initiative’s New Stores in Food Deserts, Equipment Upgrades and Grocery Rescue grant programs – representing a $26 million effort addressing food deserts and preventing the closure of grocery stores in communities across Illinois.
“The Illinois Grocery Initiative helps ensure residents in every community can put food on their tables,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “By investing in our communities’ existing grocery stores and bringing new ones to the area, we are supporting the ability of residents across Illinois to have access to fresh food close to home.”
The new Grocery Rescue Program will work to reopen stores that have closed within the prior 12 months. The program is designed to help low-access areas avoid long-term food access loss, preventing new food deserts from forming. Funding can be used for store acquisition, repair, property and equipment refurbishment, and some first-year operating costs.
The New Stores in Food Deserts Program supports establishing new grocery stores in food deserts. This funding round will integrate a pharmacy component to help address some communities’ struggles with accessing prescription medications, flu shots and more. The grants will fund new stores’ construction, renovation and operations costs for their first two years, including wages, utility costs and initial food inventory.
The Equipment Upgrades Program provides funding for existing grocery stores’ energy-efficient equipment upgrades, with priority given to locations in food-insecure communities. The program aims to strengthen existing grocery stores and preserve fresh food access, preventing the creation of new food deserts.
The Illinois Grocery Initiative has distributed $19 million in funding since 2024, including almost $17 million to build eight new grocery stores and $2 million to assist 14 stores with equipment upgrades. The latest round of funding will build on this progress while helping to 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.
