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Given the current presidential administration’s attacks on immigrants, trans people and women’s rights, Time Out has rolled out a series called “March On.” During the month of March, we’ve covered stories such as how to safely protest in NYC and how this local nonprofit is supporting equity and women’s rights. To close out the series, we are covering how best to support one of New York’s best institutions: the street vendor. We spoke to the Street Vendor Project, a membership-based organization whose mission is to protect New York City’s street vendors, about the current challenges these small business owners face and how New Yorkers can get involved.
As much as New York’s finest food and bars are the topic of conversation, it is the noble street vendor who deserves the most praise. Dotting the corners of streets and the tunnels of our subways, it is this reliable New Yorker who fills our gastronomical needs at any time of day, be it a morning cup of coffee or a late-night bite sure to tame any encroaching hangover. And while street vendors are integral to the fabric of New York, they are among the least protected in the city.
In New York, there are currently 23,000 vendors who make a living selling food, retail and merchandise but only 6,000 food vending permits available with only 853 permits relegated to merchandise, according to the nonprofit Street Vendor Project (SVP). To make matters worse, a 10,000-person waitlist to apply has been closed for several years.
This discrepancy is due to a longstanding cap of permits, that SVP says was imposed in the 1980s by then-New York mayor Ed Koch. Pressured by businesses and Fifth Avenue executives, including Donald Trump, Koch began dispatching police officers to highly trafficked areas to force vendors out and eventually capping permits as a whole. According to the New York Times, Koch referred to street vendors as giving the city the appearance of a Middle Eastern bazaar, going on to say, “This is not supposed to look like a souk.”
The lack of available access to a legal and lawful business leaves street vendors with little choice, SVP says. Many of them rent permits on the black market which can cost up to $35,000 every two years (a city-issued permit actually only costs $200 per year). The other option is to operate without one, which can run the risk of $1,000 fines, the confiscation of goods and criminal summonses from the NYPD. And as 96% percent of vendors are immigrant-run, SVP says arrests and ticketing by the police can leave vendors even more vulnerable in light of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants.
Founded in 2011 under the Urban Justice Center, SVP has acted as an advocate for the rights of 3,000 street vendors across New York and via seven spoken languages. Offering legal assistance, training and leadership, business development, and yes, advocacy, SVP empowers entrepreneurs to fight for their rights. According to deputy director Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, SVP serves as “a union for street vendors.”
“We're a membership-based organization that champions the rights of street vendors as our city’s smallest businesses, to earn a living and to contribute to the culture and life of New York City,” she tells us. “Our ultimate vision for the organization is that New York City can be a place where street vendors thrive as the essential entrepreneurs and anchors of community and culture.”
Meeting vendors in crisis mode, SVP provides legal assistance to business owners facing court fines and fees and assists with the complexity of license and permit renewals. The organization’s Small Business Empowerment Program provides the necessary skills for vendors not just to survive, but to thrive by supporting them through campaigns, services and legislative efforts that are proposed and voted on by its members.
One of its most pressing calls to action is changing the laws at a local level. Earlier this year, the organization presented a package of bills to the City Council named, the Street Vendor Reform Package. The bills provide a four-pronged approach to help street vendors operate legally including, Access to Business Licensing; Reduce Criminal Liability for General and Mobile Food Vendors; Create a Division of Street Vendor Assistance Within NYC Small Business Services; and Reform Public Siting. The passage of these bills will give these entrepreneurs a chance to build wealth in their neighborhoods, support the economy and provide for their families.
“Just like all New Yorkers, [street vendors] deserve a shot at success and deserve a fair opportunity to make a living, free from harassment,” says Kaufman-Gutierrez.
So how can you help? Kaufman-Gutierrez shares a few ways to show your support:
1. Reach out to your local council member
Kaufman-Guiterrez’s most simple way to support is to pick up your phone and call your local leader. To move the Street Vendor Reform package forward, she recommends contacting your city council member to voice your support and ask them to sign onto the four bills or push for a hearing.
“It comes down to elected officials hearing support from their constituents and, at the same time, believing that this is a key issue that needs to be addressed," she says.
2. Participate in the Street Vendor Scavenger Quest
Street Vendor Scavenger Quest gamifies the cause. From April 5 to April 25, the nonprofit will host the scavenger hunt filled with fun, food-based challenges that encourage New Yorkers to interact with the street vendors that populate this city. You can go solo or compete in a team of up to 10 to complete food trivia missions and meet vendors along the way. Completion of challenges leads to points which will be counted by the end of the month. The top leading teams will win prizes at the closing ceremony on April 25.
3. Shop from your local vendors
It seems simple, but where you spend your coin matters. Whether it’s getting a cup of coffee in the morning or introducing your coworkers to the best cart by your office, remember to shop local and show your support.