Could publicly-owned grocery stores be feasible in Boston? It’s a question that the Boston City Council is set to explore in depth soon, after a majority of the body showed support for a hearing order about the topic Wednesday.

“We live in the richest country in the world, and there are children and young people and elders going to bed hungry at night. While there’s an abundance of food, we are literally plowing thousands of tons of food into landfill,” Councilor Liz Breadon said as she introduced the hearing order.

Publicly-owned grocery stores could be valuable tools in helping residents burdened by rising food costs and those potentially facing the loss of benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Breadon said.

Food prices in August 2025 were more than 3% highe

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