Healthy Incentives Pilot
As part of the 2008 Farm Bill, the SNAP program received $20 million for pilot projects to evaluate the health and nutrition of SNAP participants. The aim of the projects is to test incentives to increase the purchase of fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods by SNAP beneficiaries. Hampden County, Massachusetts was chosen as the site of the Healthy Incentives Pilot (HIP) program. The program is still in its planning stages, with a full report expected by 2013.
Information on HIP:
- HIP Homepage
- 2011 Report to Congress
- 2010 Report to Congress
- 2009 Report to Congress
- Summary of Evaluation/ Statement of Work
More like This: The Healthy Food Financing Initiative
The Healthy Food Financing Initiative is a federally-funded program to increase access to grocery stores and other healthy food retailers among underserved communities.
The program has been given $400 million to assist community development institutions, nonprofits, and businesses with creating strategies to address the healthy food needs of communities. Private sector partners will be given a combination of federal tax credits, below-market rate loans, loan guarantees, and grants. These monies will go towards projects like the construction or expansion of a grocery store or the installation of refrigeration units for fresh produce in convenience stores.
The program is a joint collaboration between the Treasury Department, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Health and Human Services. For more information, click here.
HIP in the NEWS
- “A Healthy Incentive Pilot to Supplement Food Stamp Benefits,” by Parke Wilde, Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University
- “A Great Step Forward for Healthier Eating and Living in the Commonwealth,” by JudyAnn Bigby, MD, Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services
- “Will a 30% Incentive on Fruits and Vegetables Lead SNAP Participants to Healthier Eating?,” by Abt Associates, a private company leading the evaluation of HIP
- “The Farm Bill: Searching for Common Ground,” by Jill Krueger, Senior Attorney for the Public Health Law Network
