Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) is using HFFI funding to provide financing and technical assistance to food markets located in, or planning to locate in, low- to-moderate-income communities that lack access to affordable, healthy food. LIIF has funded projects in Louisiana, New York, and Pennsylvania. Some of the funds from the award were used to support the transformation of a 65,000-square-foot abandoned supermarket in New Orleans into the ReFresh Market, an integrated healthy food center. ReFresh New Orleans, an $18 million New Markets Tax Credit transaction mixed-use project, received $1.5 million leveraged funds from LIIF to transform the vacant building into a healthy food hub. It is expected to create and preserve more than 110 jobs. You can find more information about LIIF here and about ReFresh Market project here.

Source of money: HFFI CDFI-Financial Assistance Program

Note: LIIF is a CDFI headquartered in California, but LIIF is also working in Louisiana, New York, and Pennsylvania.