HHS Launches Phase 1 of the Cultivating Connected Communities Challenge

National Competition Promotes Sustainable, Accessible Community Garden Models to Advance Community Wellness

WASHINGTON D.C. - May 20, 2026 - Today, the Administration for Community Living (ACL), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), launched Phase 1 of its Cultivating Connected Communities Challenge. This competition will increase engagement with existing community garden models that foster healthy eating, wellness, and accessibility with focused outreach to people with disabilities and older adults.

Building on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's The People's Gardeninitiative, the challenge recognizes community gardens as tools to improve food access, mitigate chronic disease risk, and enhance community connection. This focus is particularly significant for people with physical disabilities, intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), and older adults; populations often excluded from sustainability initiatives due to mobility, health, and social barriers. Dana Gover, who serves as the statewide ADA consultant at the Northwest ADA Center - Idaho, explains that by actively seeking feedback from individuals with disabilities, designers can go beyond basic accessibility requirements and better meet a wide range of needs, as demonstrated by initiatives like the Universal Garden.

This challenge invites garden organizers to expand inclusive and sustainable practices that reduce social isolation, prevent diet-related chronic conditions, and cultivate long-term community impact. Funds awarded will support garden upgrades such as raising plant bed heights, incorporating adaptive gardening tools, and creating inclusive gardening programs. Accessible community gardens are drivers of independence and overall wellness.

The challenge aligns with national efforts to Make America Healthy Again by addressing the root causes of chronic disease through improved food systems and community-based wellness initiatives for people with disabilities and older adults. "Community gardens make healthy food more accessible while strengthening community engagement and connection," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "At HHS, we are working to ensure that people of all ages and abilities can participate in and benefit from these gardens in their own neighborhoods."

For more information about Phase 1, visit ACL's Cultivating Connected Communities Challenge webpage.

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