OneNYC Calls for Pilot of Public Grocery Stores to Tackle NYC's Food Affordability Crisis

New report builds on Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani's call for public grocery stores, urging the city to pilot nonprofit markets and other innovations to make food affordable.

NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new OneNYC Action Inc. report, Feeding the Future: Affordable Food Access in NYC Through Innovation and Partnership, reveals a stark reality: grocery costs have surged 66% in a decade, far outpacing income; 1.2 million New Yorkers—including one in four children—are food insecure; and food pantry visits are up 85% since 2019, from 25 to 46 million. Cuts to SNAP benefits could hit nearly 100,000 residents.

This report calls for innovations in food affordability with a set of public-private experiments to lead the way. Among them: a pilot network of municipally owned, nonprofit grocery stores that would sell food 30-40% below market prices, modeled on successful U.S. military commissaries and emerging programs elsewhere in the U.S.

Other innovation pilots include:

• A digital food wallet to unify SNAP, WIC, and local incentives.
• Food-as-medicine partnerships linking healthcare spending to nutrition access.
• A citywide "Every Plate Counts" platform connecting surplus food to community kitchens.

"New Yorkers are tired of seeing working families priced out of the basics," said Yasser Salem, Chair of OneNYC. "This crisis demands leadership that's willing to test bold ideas. Piloting public grocery stores isn't radical. When we invest in affordability, we invest in the talent and creativity that keep New York City's economy thriving."

"Public grocery stores are just one example of a bold idea with potential for real results," said Zia Khan, Executive Director of OneNYC Inc. "By eliminating rent and property taxes and using city land for shared warehousing, these stores could cut prices by 30–40%. If we treat affordability as a public innovation opportunity, we can quickly test and scale solutions that make life better for millions of New Yorkers."

Read the full Feeding the Future report at www.onenyc.com/reports/foodaffordability and join the conversation using #InnovateForAffordability. OneNYC urges policymakers, business, and community leaders to pilot solutions and make New York livable again.

Disclaimer

This release is issued by OneNYC Action Inc., a 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to advancing conscious leadership in democratic governance and civic engagement. It is not authorized by any candidate or campaign and is intended solely for issue-advocacy and public education purposes.

SOURCE OneNYC Action Inc.