About one million households in Los Angeles are meals insecure, based on information from the College of Southern California. Now, those self same consultants concern that the closure of 99 Cents Solely shops will make issues worse.
At a time when many are struggling to afford meals, the closure of 99 Cents Solely shops is a monetary blow to households.
“It's a disgrace that 99 cents are gone,” stated María, a client. Maria visited a retailer in Maywood and loaded her cart with fruits, greens, milk, and a bundle of tortillas.
“For me it is likely one of the greatest shops,” stated María. She ended up spending $16.90 on two luggage of groceries.
NBC4 in contrast costs to different native shops promoting the identical objects. These included:
- a packet of strawberries
- a melon
- a three pound bag of potatoes
- a bundle of tortillas
- a gallon of milk
The totals in every retailer had been:
- $11.39 on the 99 Cent Unique Retailer
- $14.95 on the grocery store
- $17.96 at Ralphs
Total, Maria saved between $three and $four. It might not look like a lot, however for somebody who has a strict $50 weekly grocery price range, it makes a distinction.
Maria stated the financial savings are an actual profit to her and her household.
And based on Kayla de la Hay, a analysis scientist at USC's Heart for Social and Financial Analysis, she's not the one one who wants assist.
“I don't assume greenback shops are the place individuals get a number of nutritious meals. However I do fear that this can make it a lot tougher for people who find themselves already struggling to place meals on the desk,” De la Hay stated.
He stated 30% of individuals in Los Angeles County are meals insecure, which means they don't have dependable entry to meals.
“These meals deserts are discovered in lots of low-income communities and communities of coloration. And in the event that they begin to shut, there will likely be an actual hole in meals entry for a lot of of those neighborhoods,” De la Hay stated. “We actually want to consider how we're going to assist these communities that haven't invested sufficient in getting higher entry to wholesome, inexpensive meals.”
For now, individuals are compelled to search for different choices with their restricted budgets. Maria stated she should cut back the variety of objects she buys.
The scenario is underscoring the necessity to deal with meals entry and affordability in low-income communities.