Dearborn Homes is considered a ‘Food Desert’ based on the low-income tracts with a substantial number or proportion of the population has low access to supermarkets or large grocery stores. Low-income tracts are characterized by either a poverty rate equal to or greater than 20 percent.

Coming out of August being National Black Business Month is a grand announcement that the term 'Food Desert' is predicted will not to be identified for residents of Dearborn Homes in the future. The public housing development, one of the last of Chicago Public Housing (CHA) has been without a food store of any sort since Don’s Food Mart closed in 1996.

Dearborn Homes 660 housing units with an estimated population of 2,600 residents is located in the Bronzeville community at 27th to 30th Streets on S. State Street. This truly is the optimal time to reintroduce a grocery Store for Dearborn Homes. It goes along with the many improvements that have been developed over the past years. Residents have wanted a store to serve the tenants since Don’s Food Mart closed. This is a golden opportunity to raise the standard of living for the residents which will in turn raise the standard of living for all Chicagoans.

Black Wall Street Chicago (BWSC), revisited the residences desire after 29th street was proposed as an honorary name for Don Carter, by outreaching to various groups for support, which has gain great interest from the west and south sides of Chicago with potential investors.

An ad hoc support group has been formed by BWSC called the Dearborn Associates for a Grocery Store (DAGS) consist of The Black Mall, National Block Club University, Bronzeville Visitors and Conventions, Ujima, Inc., St. Paul Church of God in Christ Congressman Danny Davis and State Senator Mattie Hunter. In addition, support from former residents of Dearborn Homes and the Carter-Mitchell Family of Don Carter.

Mayor Lightfoot Chicago’s INVEST South/West is a well investment initiative to support Dearborn Homes residents as part of her key development plans on the South and West Sides of Chicago and for what she said to address communities that have been left out and underserved in Chicago.