This US city only has one supermarket for 45,000 people. New legislation seeks to fix that; The Guardian, August 28, 2026

Lela Nargi , The Guardian; This US city only has one supermarket for 45,000 people. New legislation seeks to fix that

"Supermarket restrictive covenants have flown largely under the radar for half a century, even as they’ve made lingering food deserts out of the communities they presumably serve.

Woonsocket has at least three restrictive covenants that severely limit grocery access for this community – including on the space vacated by Stop & Shop back in 2004. Walmart quit town in 2011, leaving behind yet another restrictive covenant that barred both grocers and pharmacies from moving into its abandoned space."