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Healthy Neighborhood Market Program / Harbor City / Watts / Council District 15 / Expansion

Council File 22-0437-S1

In progress — the city is expanding a healthy-food retail program into Watts and Harbor City, with four stores now participating. Implementation is moving forward with foundation funding and plans to deepen ties to nutrition incentives and local urban agriculture.

Introduced
2023-03-03
Last changed
2026-09-18
CFMS file status
File open See note on file status
Expires
2028-09-18
Committee
Economic Development and Jobs Committee
Mover
TIM MCOSKER
Second
CURREN D. PRICE

This is the City Clerk's status for the council file itself, not the outcome of the measure. A file often stays open after the Council has already adopted an item. The summary above reflects the latest recorded action.

Brief

Councilmember Tim Mosker's motion, seconded by Curren Price Jr., expands the Healthy Neighborhood Market Program to Council District 15 neighborhoods including Harbor City and Watts. The program aims to improve food access and economic opportunity in underserved areas. Council adopted the motion unanimously (11-0-4) in August 2023. The Economic and Workforce Development Department submitted an October 2025 status report, now pending review in the Economic Development and Jobs Committee.

Full summary

The Healthy Markets LA program, formerly called the Healthy Neighborhood Market Network Program, helps corner stores and liquor stores in low-income, food-underserved communities transition toward healthy food retail. Run in partnership with the Los Angeles Food Policy Council and funded through federal Community Development Block Grant money, the program pairs business counselors directly with store owners to develop sustainable models for stocking and selling healthy food. Councilmember Tim McOsker introduced this motion to bring the program into Harbor City and Watts, two communities in Council District 15 that have faced decades of disinvestment and lack full-service grocery stores. Council adopted the motion 11-0-4 in August 2023, directing the Economic and Workforce Development Department to study expansion options and work with McOsker's office and local stakeholders on site selection. After an initial referral to the Economic and Community Development Committee, the item was rerouted to the Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee before final adoption. In October 2025, EWDD submitted a status report detailing on-the-ground results. The Los Angeles Food Policy Council contacted 33 stores across Watts and Harbor City over two program years, using in-person flyer drop-offs and follow-up visits. Three new stores were enrolled in Program Year 50 and one continued from the prior year, bringing the active total in Council District 15 to four participating markets. A program tour organized in September 2023 featured El Torito Market, the first Healthy Markets LA location in Watts. EWDD identified the main obstacles to broader participation as owner reluctance to change inventory or make physical store improvements, and difficulty reaching owners directly rather than their employees. Going forward, the program plans to work with three stores — La Weigand, Watts Up, and Harris markets — to track long-term income and healthy food sales. Additional foundation funding is expected to support further store improvements, connect a Watts location to the Farm Fresh LA nutrition incentive program, and link participating stores with local urban growers through a new Healthy Retail and Urban Agriculture initiative. The Economic Development and Jobs Committee noted and filed the status report in September 2026, and the file remains open pending continued implementation.

Activity (12)

  • 2026-09-18 Economic Development and Jobs Committee noted and filed item(s).
  • 2026-09-15 Economic Development and Jobs Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on September 18, 2026.
  • 2025-10-15 Economic and Workforce Development Department document(s) referred to Economic Development and Jobs Committee.
  • 2025-10-14 Document submitted by Economic and Workforce Development Department , dated October 14, 2025.
  • 2023-08-23 Council action final.
  • 2023-08-22 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2023-08-18 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on August 22, 2023.
  • 2023-08-15 Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2023-08-11 Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on August 15, 2023.
  • 2023-08-08 Council rereferred item to Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee, pursuant to Council Action of , Council File No. Council rereferred item to Trade, Travel and Tourism Committee, pursuant to Council Action of August 2, 2023, Council File No. 23-2000-S3.
  • 2023-08-02 Council rereferred item to Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee, pursuant to Council Action of August 2, 2023, Council File No. 23-2000-S3.
  • 2023-03-03 Motion referred to Economic and Community Development Committee.

Documents (6)

Council votes (1)

  • 2023-08-22 Adopted — 11-0-4 · Regular

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