A COLLABORATIVE URBAN RENEWAL EFFORT TO ADVANCE NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION AND EXPAND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND FOOD DISTRIBUTION IN A LOW-INCOME, LOW-ACCESS FOOD DESERT.

CCI's endgame for our planning project is to increase community impact for the Food Hub. The project goals are as follow:Develop authentic participation in the Food Hub by people and community leaders to unearth issues and reveal strategies to promote food security.Assess how people currently access all components of CCI's Food Hub and identify strategies for increased outreach and engagement.Fully examine each Food Hub component in terms of operations and impact in the community measured by key benchmarks.Incorporate the Food Hub in Hartford's development plans which includes the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plans for HUD funding, and Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). Using a Social Determinant of Health (SDOH) lens, the Food Hub will also be incorporated into the local hospital's Community Health Improvement Plans (CHIP).Share the successes of our partnerships that will help to drive public policy on supporting local Food Hubs and improve the effectiveness of programming.Create a five-year business plan for the Food Hub to strategically identify optimal levels of investment to ensure a sustainable food system.