Healthy Eating and Food Access in Houston | Community Exchange
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Healthy Eating and Food Access in Houston
Precinct One awarded $550k in grants to bring fresh food to underserved communities and launched Double Up Houston, which matches SNAP dollars at 19 farmers mar
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Topic: Getting fresh food to neighborhoods that need it mostWho Helped: Harris County Precinct One gave $550,000 to 6 local groupsDouble Up Houston: Doubles your SNAP dollars for fresh fruits and veggies at 19 farmers marketsWho Benefits: Families in low-income areas and communities of colorSource: Harris County Precinct One Healthy Food Financing Initiative
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Good first step: Act Find a Double Up Houston farmers market near you
Search 'Double Up Houston farmers market' online or visit doubleuphouston.org to find a market near you and start doubling your SNAP dollars today.
Fresh food can feel out of reach in many Houston neighborhoods. Harris County Precinct One is working to change that. Through the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, $550,000 in grants went to six local organizations bringing nutritious food to underserved communities. A program called Double Up Houston also stretches SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) dollars at 19 farmers markets across the area.
Six organizations received grant funding to create new ways to reach neighbors with fresh, healthy food. Here is what each one is doing: HOPE Clinic is training restaurant owners to offer healthier menu items. Houston Food Bank is expanding pantry capacity and helping more people enroll in SNAP benefits. Little Red Box is making healthy food available for pick-up in the Second Ward. Finca Tres Robles is running hands-on cooking classes and opening a store and kitchen in the East End. Common Market Texas is offering healthy food to local retailers at a 25 percent discount. Urban Harvest is operating a mobile market and connecting community organizations working on food access. On top of the grants, Urban Harvest partnered with the Houston Food Bank, Houston Health Department, and others to launch Double Up Houston. The program matches SNAP purchases dollar-for-dollar at 19 farmers markets and food stands. That means your SNAP dollars go twice as far when you buy fresh fruits and vegetables from local growers.
If you use SNAP benefits, visit one of the 19 participating farmers markets or food stands in the Houston area and your dollars will be matched for fresh fruits and vegetables. If you are not sure whether you qualify for SNAP, you can check your eligibility and apply through the Texas Benefits portal. You can also connect with organizations like the Houston Food Bank or HOPE Clinic for food pantry support, nutrition help, or enrollment assistance.
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Harris County, with a focus on underserved communities including the Second Ward and East End
These efforts connect to broader conversations about public health, food security, and economic opportunity in Houston. Farmers markets, food pantries, and nutrition programs work best when neighbors know about them. Community organizations like Urban Harvest coordinate across groups to make sure resources reach the people who need them most.
Where you live shapes what you eat. Food deserts — neighborhoods without a grocery store within walking distance — are common in low-income areas and communities of color in our region. That gap in access is linked to health outcomes, how kids do in school, and how workers perform on the job. These programs aim to close that gap by bringing fresh produce closer to the families who need it most.
