WABE's Week In Review: Revamping Georgia's mental healthcare system and bringing an Asian staple to store shelves

Georgia has one of the lowest-ranked mental healthcare systems when it comes to accessibility. The state just does not have enough providers, but efforts are underway to try to lure more mental health professionals here as well as keeping the ones already in the state.

Read more about the legislation that would change Georgia’s mental healthcare industry.

Atlanta’s hot housing is pricing people out…

Atlanta home buyers are paying too high of a percentage of their income on a place to live, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

“This is the first time in the history of our index the share of income needed to afford the median price house jumped above 30%,” Dominic Purviance, subject matter expert with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, told WABE’s Jim Burress. “Whenever it’s above 30% that means the market is unaffordable.”

The battle to stock a leafy green vegetable in Georgia…

Georgia is now allowing the importing of water spinach. The leafy green vegetable that is a staple in many Asian cuisines was banned from growing here because it spreads easily once it is planted.

But regulated grows in other states have proven successful at harvest without the wild spread of the plant, so Georgia may allow similar methods here. In the meantime, imports will be allowed.

The move could also curb illegal, unregulated grows.

“We’ve seen people buying and selling it in the parking lot in their trunks, of course illegally, and some are growing illegally in Georgia as well,” said Ben Vo, owner of City Farmer’s Market. “ The products [were] being treated like marijuana.”

“To the Vietnamese community and Southeast Asian community, water spinach is a very important component to their diet,” said Kathy Kuzava, the President of the Georgia Food Industry Association. “[Imagine] if southerners weren’t allowed to drink sweet tea, or our Hispanic community was not allowed to purchase tortillas?”

The USDA has already approved three Georgia grocers to buy the vegetable from other states. 

Technology and the supply chain…

Get the second episode of WABE Tech Cast!

Online shopping skyrocketed at the beginning of the pandemic and two years later, it shows few signs of slowing down. But the increased demand has bogged down the supply chain and left online retailers and logistics companies scrambling. In this edition of WABE Tech Cast, Emil Moffatt examines how Atlanta companies are using tech to keep pace.