Seattle’s updated plan is hoped to connect more people to fresh food in the city

By Madison Rogers/UW News Lab

Monday, District 3 representative Joy Hollingsworth got an earful of what it will be like leading the city’s 20-year planning effort of the neighborhood by neighborhood zoning changes part of the Seattle Comprehensive Plan update.

She also has been focused on Capitol Hill public safety investments around street disorder and public drug use.

In addition to those higher profile challenges, Hollingsworth says her second year serving on the Seattle City Council will also be addressing more of the root causes of Seattle’s problems. Some of those, she says, start with breakfast.

“I am starting to ring the alarm now for our food systems,” Hollingsworth says. “The current way in which we consume food is not sustainable for our future growth as a city, as a state, or as a country.”

Hollingsworth has spoken out on the value of farming and food security in communities and has been a critical contributor to Mayor Bruce Harrell’s efforts to update the city’s $30 million a year Food Action Plan, committed to tackling food insecurity and rising costs with community-driven solutions that improve access, sustainability, and local food equity.

The sprawling connection of programs and initiatives hasn’t been addressed and updated by the city in over ten years.

The new plan prioritizes programs like Fresh Bucks which provides $40 stipends to income-qualifying residents to spend on fresh produce from participating retailers as well as providing the framework for the city’s food programs and community P-Patch gardens.

Seattle residents currently spend around 12% of their living costs on food, the city says.

At its core, the cit’s updated Food Action Plan prioritizes four key goals: increasing food security, promoting locally grown and traditional foods, advancing an equitable local economy, and reducing food waste. The new plan, overseen by the Office of Sustainability and Environment, recognizes changes in our food system, like climate change and post-pandemic difficulties.

Hollingsworth, whose District 3 includes Capitol Hill and the Central District, has long advocated for food equity as she worked in her family’s cannabis farming business. She supports the updated plan, she says, because it will make food access more equitable and ensure adequate nutrition.

“A lot of people are contributing a lot of their money to housing, and they have to make a decision between paying their rent or buying groceries or paying their light bill. And so the plan specifically targets food access points within different Capitol Hill locations,” said Hollingsworth.

According to Hollingsworth, food insecurity and housing insecurity are deeply intertwined, especially in high-cost areas like Capitol Hill and the Central District, where residents face rising rent and limited access to affordable food.

(Image: City of Seattle)

According to the Harrell administration, the updated plan benefits from community engagement and represents work from over 250 leaders and food system specialists. This group includes representatives from small food enterprises, urban agriculture, Tribal communities, and local organizations, all working together to shape the future of Seattle’s food systems.

Yona Sipos, an Associate Teaching Professor in the University of Washington’s Food Systems and Health program, contributed to the early discussions of the plan.

“I think having an action plan is extremely important in helping a community chart a path toward their desired outcomes. So, the city of Seattle has been, I would say, deeply invested in sustainable food systems for a long time. They’re really a leader across the country,” said Sipos.

Food touches every part of community life, from health and education to local economies and environmental sustainability, which makes the updated FAP so crucial in Seattle, according to Sipos.

“I think there’s just so much potential when we see food as a space for solutions, as a space for collaboration, as a space to move beyond siloed thinking and systems thinking. Having that inclusivity around that kind of approach to a food system, I think, will have lots of ripple effects as well,” says Sipos.

One of the most significant changes in the updated FAP is its focus on equity, particularly in neighborhoods with higher populations of communities of color, who statistically face more food insecurity. Hollingsworth points out that nearly 30% of black households experience food insecurity in King County, according to county data.

Hollingsworth’s vision for the plan, she said, includes connecting housing providers with food access services to address these disparities more comprehensively, allowing families to meet both their food and housing needs.

“A lot of the work we are going to be doing with the food action plan is a lot of crossover, making sure that we’re not just funding the affordable housing providers to provide shelter but we also provide these people to do food because they’re providing the services to these people to be able to stay housed,” said Hollingsworth.

Capitol Hill and the Central District will be at the forefront of the updated plan, given their high rates of food insecurity and the opportunity to connect the areas to providers. Some of these neighborhoods are home to diverse populations that have struggled with economic disparities. According to Hollingsworth, consistent and adequate nutrition has been out of reach for many residents.

“We’ve identified those two locations as areas where many people experience food insecurity,” Hollingsworth said. High housing costs and limited food access points like grocery stores, food banks, and community kitchens, have made affordable food hard to come by.

Advocacy organizations like Byrd Barr and the Urban League initially launched free food distribution during the pandemic but have now become vital, regular food resources in the area. The FAP will expand the reach and resources of such programs, ensuring more people have stable and consistent access to nutritious food. The plan places emphasis on strengthening existing food banks and meal programs, according to Hollingsworth.

Local food banks, such as the Food Bank at St. Mary’s, serve thousands of households in these neighborhoods but already face their own challenges. Operating with limited resources and an almost entirely volunteer-driven staff, St. Mary’s struggles to keep up with a growing demand, according to its staff.

“We have more people to feed than we have food provided,” says Lexie Curson, the development manager at St. Mary’s. Last year alone, the food bank distributed over two million pounds of food and provided critical services like home delivery and no-cook bags for those without kitchen access, according to the Food Bank at St. Mary’s website.

The Food Bank at St. Mary’s thrives on fresh produce, such as fruits and vegetables. According to St. Mary’s staff, produce is always a major necessity.

The food bank at St. Mary’s website includes a dedicated page detailing its current needs and accepted donation items. The list guides community members who wish to contribute meaningfully and help address the food bank’s immediate needs.

“A few dollars or a few pounds of food goes a long way. It all adds up,” says Marlowe Hussey, manager of administration and accounting at St. Mary’s.

Every donation helps fulfill an immediate demand, while initiatives like the updated FAP want to secure a reliable food supply for the future. The FAP looks to build a stronger, more resilient food network so food access points like the food bank at St. Mary’s can continue to foster growth and provide people with the help they need.

The FAP also emphasizes reducing food waste and supporting local food production, two goals that can have long-lasting impacts on food security in Seattle’s neighborhoods, officials hope. According to officials, the plan will help foster local food sources and strengthen the resilience of food systems in places like Capitol Hill and the Central District.

Hollingsworth envisions using these programs to teach youth and community members about growing food.

“Look, if we are going to fund food programs, we also need to localize our food programs. We also need to teach inner city kids what it is to grow your food,” says Hollingsworth. “When you teach kids how to grow something with their hands and use their hands, you’re sparking so many links in their brain so they can understand where food comes from.”

At a time when more Seattle residents are feeling the pressure of food prices, the updated FAP is hoped to ensure that Seattle’s residents have access to the resources they need to live healthy lives.

“I think the food action plan is yet another opportunity for us to see food as a real connector and unifying theme,” Sipos said. “Food is interdisciplinary, food is multi-sectoral, food is community. And food, I think, could really be a tool for equity.”

You can learn more about Seattle’s Food Action Plan here.

The Journalism and Public Interest Communication News Lab at the University of Washington gives advanced journalism students an opportunity to build a dynamic clip portfolio by reporting for any of 70 client news outlets in the greater Seattle area. CHS is proud to work with young journalists and feature their work.

$5 A MONTH TO HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE

Subscribe to CHS to help us hire writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. To stay that way, we need you. Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for $5 a month -- or choose your level of support 🖤