Milwaukee officials on Tuesday, April 21, approved five measures aimed at expanding food access after a wave of grocery store closures left large parts of the city’s north side without nearby options.
The legislation comes nearly a year after five Pick ‘n Save stores abruptly closed in July 2025, the first in a broader exodus of grocery stores from the city.
The package includes five measures, including: a new requirement that grocers and pharmacies provide advance notice before closing; a resolution declaring unequal food access a public health emergency; and additional efforts to study and address the loss of stores in low-income neighborhoods.
All five elements of the package passed with 14 council members voting in favor of the legislation. Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic of District 14 was excused from the vote.
A total of $2.8 million will be invested in the effort through the legislation, according to Ald. Russell Stamper II, who co-sponsored the package. The funds will support efforts like the Grocery Store Retention Fund and the Healthy Food Establishment Fund.
During the meeting, Stamper thanked colleagues, community partners and members of the Food Justice Collective – a local network of residents committed to finding solutions to improve local food systems – for their collaboration in creating policy to take “meaningful action to address food apartheid, strengthen our neighborhoods and support the businesses that serve our residents every day,” he said.
“Food justice is not about charity,” said Ald. Andrea Pratt, who co-sponsored the legislative actions. “It’s about the right of the community to grow, access and control the food that sustains them.”
The Common Council’s vote comes several months after the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution declaring food apartheid a public health emergency in November 2025.
That county action attempts to address the issue in collaboration with the Milwaukee Health Department and came with an approved resolution to transfer $150,000 in contingency funds to support federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients during the government shutdown.
“Healthy food access is not a privilege,” said Ald. Milele Coggs. “It’s a right.”
April Quevedo covers Metcalfe Park for the Journal Sentinel’s Neighborhood Dispatch. Contact: aquevedo@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee officials approve plan to boost food access after store closures
Reporting by April Quevedo, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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