Black, brown, and immigrant vendors showed up in droves last week at a City Council hearing to testify to the city’s flawed street vending system and demand equitable reforms.
The oversight hearing was held on December 13 and led by Councilmember Marjorie Velázquez, who chairs the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection. Attendees asked representatives of the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), Department of Sanitation (DSNY), and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) about the incredibly slow rollout of Local Law 18 of 2021, which was supposed to increase the yearly doling out of vendor licensing, and the mayor’s order to move enforcement over street vendors from DCWP to DSNY officers back in March.
They also discussed various bills about vendor-related activity—most prominently, bill T2023-4381, which would prohibit general vending and mobile food vending on a bridge. The bill is considered a visceral reaction to the “dangerous overcrowding” of tourists and street vendors packed in along the entire length of the Brooklyn Bridge, reported the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
More than 80 vendors arrived to testify to unfair ticketing, arrests, confusing rules and regulations, being waitlisted for years to get a license, and instances of discrimination while vending. Even more were present to show solidarity. They filled almost every seat, including the overhanging balcony. Many wore the yellow hats provided by the Street Vendor project organization.
Language access interpreters were present, supporting translation services for six languages, including Spanish, Mandarin, French, Arabic, and Bangla, to ensure the street vendor community had appropriate representation. They formed a long line outside of the hearing room that wrapped around the City Hall rotunda just to get their hearing equipment.
“Our street vendor community is overburdened by red tape, especially regarding daily operations. No brick-and-mortar business requires its employees to attain their own Certificate of Authority, so why should street vending be any different? As long as the owner/primary operator is legally operating, they should be able to hire employees as necessary,” said Velázquez. “We must continue to work toward cutting the red tape that hinders our local economy from thriving. Good actors work hard to deliver for our community, and we must support them where possible.”
According to a city report from 2021, the City Council okayed new vending regulations under former Mayor Bill de Blasio by creating the Office of Street Vendor Enforcement (OSVE) and the Street Vendor Advisory Board. Local Law 18 of 2021 was then supposed to make room for more “mobile food vendors” or pushcart owners—a separate type of classification from general vendors, to get licenses and permits, reported the Amsterdam News at the time. Among other suggestions to make street vending easier, the board recommended that the city repeal the panel since it “has not met or altered restricted streets in any way since the early 2000s.”
As of September 2023, the DOHMH has issued 14 out the 445 licenses required to be given out annually to mobile food vendors. Local Law 18 established a new supervisory licensing application and permitting system that’s only two years old and separate from legacy permits. A portion of those who complete the application don’t follow up to file for a permit, said a DOHMH representative.
The DCWP admitted to a serious backlog, with nearly 11,000 vendors waitlisted to get general licenses; the waitlist is currently closed.
The DSNY and DCWP maintained that they only issue civil summonses in response to violations and do not dole out criminal charges, although the NYPD has oversight if contraband or something similar is found during inspections.
The Street Vendor Reform package was introduced last week by Councilmembers Pierina Sanchez, Amanda Farías, Shekar Krishnan, and Carmen De La Rosa, along with Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. It includes four bills that ensure vendors have access to licenses, reduce criminalization and public siting limits, and create a Division of Street Vendor Assistance in the city’s Department of Small Business Services (SBS). The reform bills have been praised by street vendors and advocate groups.
“Street vendors provide a lifeline for many immigrant New Yorkers. They are our smallest businesses,” said Krishnan in a statement. “At our Council hearing, I was proud to join over 200 vendors testifying in support of legislation to reform our street vending system, which includes my bill to decriminalize street vending violations. No vendor should face jail time and a criminal conviction for trying to feed their families.”
De La Rosa, who chairs the Civil Service and Labor Committee, said in a statement: “New York City is renowned for its diverse and dynamic street life, with vendors contributing to the unique character and energy that defines our streets, especially uptown. Many street vendors are immigrants, faced with employment challenges and the economic realities of living in New York City.”
Velázquez is the sponsor of Int. 1062 and Int. 1188, and a co-prime sponsor of Int. 1060, which were heard during the committee hearing. One of the burdens that vendors often face is the ability to display and store goods, according to the City Council. Int. 1062 would allow mobile food vendors to display or store goods on top of their carts. Velázquez’s bill would eliminate the requirement that individual employees of mobile food vending carts or trucks each have a New York State Certificate of Sales Tax Authority. Lifting this requirement would enable street vendors to hire employees without the need for added paperwork and to operate like a traditional business.
Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member who writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.