Community Food Security - read the Hunger Commission's food access study and download free food access study materials including curriculum for nutrition education workshops.

A Community with Promise

Del Paso Heights and North Sacramento are neighborhoods on the cusp of revitalization. Community efforts are paying off through lower crime rates, a reduction in drug activity and a resurgence of neighborhood participation in local community action groups. Thriving businesses now reside where once there were only empty storefronts and vacant land. Del Paso Boulevard, one of the main thoroughfares through the two neighborhoods, is a prime example of this revitalization. Efforts made by the Community Development Corporation (CDC), a local business redevelopment group, have yielded new life to the once tired and crime-ridden boulevard, filling it with art galleries, restaurants and retail stores. Other positive changes, beyond the main boulevard, can also be observed. The Greater Sacramento Urban League is erecting a brand new, million-dollar building in the heart of Del Paso Heights where they will provide programs and services in workforce preparation, employment, education and literacy, and economic and business development. Construction has also begun on a new housing project called Del Paso Nuevo. Reflective of his project's name, developer Allen Warren claims to be committed to creating a new image for Del Paso Heights. In a recent interview, Allen remarked, “I grew up in this neighborhood…we really hope this jump-starts the local economy, improves home prices and attracts businesses to the area.” The homes will be reasonably priced (with half of the homes intended to be sold to people earning 80 percent or less of the county's median income) and local residents are expected to make up at least 10 percent of the labor force during construction.

While all of these business endeavors are to be applauded, it is equally important to understand that there is still work to be accomplished. Though the art galleries on Del Paso Boulevard are drawing strong crowds to restaurants and businesses, providing important tax revenue to the city, they are not especially useful to a large majority of Del Paso Heights residents whose median household income currently hovers around $16,363 a year. And in North Sacramento, where 20% of residents do not own a car, drastic measures are being taken just to purchase food. This past spring, as this food access study was being conducted, a woman and her baby were killed while taking a shortcut across railroad tracks to a conveniencestore often used by residents to purchase basic groceries. At least two others have been killed due to this shortcut as well. The legal route to this small market is a half-mile walk, including a significant hike up a steep overpass, which, when adding children and bags of groceries to the mix, is a difficult task at best. In contrast, the shortcut is a straight line of perhaps 400 feet starting at the edge of the low-income neighborhood on the east side of the tracks and ending at the small market on the west side which is the only food source in the area. This shortcut, though dangerous and illegal, is unfortunately a far more manageable route.

In spite of the excellent efforts at revitalization, there are obviously still issues that need to be addressed in these promising neighborhoods. Easy access to affordable, nutritious food is one of these issues. The purpose of this study is to address the concerns of the residents of North Sacramento and Del Paso Heights (Complete Results and Discussion Appendix 5) and to offer recommendations based on their input in an effort to ensure that no one has to contemplate taking their life in their hands to just go grocery shopping (Complete Recommendations Appendix 6).

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