Street vendors in New York City encounter numerous hurdles as they attempt to make a living, with over 20,000 vendors currently operating across the five boroughs.
A staggering 75% of these vendors work without a license or permit, primarily due to a long-standing cap on available permits set by the city.
Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, Deputy Director of the Street Vendor Project (SVP), states that the limited availability of legal permits has created a persistent barrier for many vendors, forcing them to navigate an informal system.
The ongoing struggle for street vendors is compounded by enforcement actions that consistently threaten their livelihood.
“No matter what they do, they’re going to be persecuted,” Kaufman-Gutierrez says.
“Potentially fined and potentially have their materials confiscated.”
In Queens, neighborhoods like Elmhurst, Corona, and Jackson Heights are vital to street vendors, whose stands reflect the rich tapestry of cultures in these communities.
With a high concentration of immigrant residents, these areas feature a diverse array of food stands serving dishes from various Latin American countries, including Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela.
“For a lot of us who come from immigrant backgrounds, street vending is a way of life,” explains Kaufman-Gutierrez.
“It helps people stay connected to their roots while also contributing to New York City’s culture. New York City is a city of immigrants.”
Queens boasts the most diverse population in New York City, with almost half of its residents born outside the United States.
In addition to promoting cultural connections, street vendors play an essential role in providing affordable meals to working-class communities.
As Kaufman-Gutierrez notes, many residents in neighborhoods with escalating housing costs live in crowded apartments that often lack kitchen access.
These residents depend on street vendors for reasonably priced food options.
However, the reality for unlicensed vendors is fraught with anxiety stemming from the constant threat of enforcement actions from various city agencies, including the NYPD and Department of Sanitation.
Kaufman-Gutierrez observes that this fear has detrimental effects on vendors’ health, particularly among elderly individuals who often turn to street vending as a reliable source of income.
“Because of the constant fear of enforcement, the constant stress and anxiety that comes with it can alter people’s blood pressure levels and impact their physical and mental health,” she notes.
Kaufman-Gutierrez also highlights the visible police presence in Queens neighborhoods, which she believes instills fear rather than providing support for low-income vendors.
She argues that these enforcement practices disproportionately affect working-class communities and exacerbate economic hardship.
“It’s not fixing anything,” she asserts.
“It’s the definition of injustice. The street vending system in New York City is an intentionally broken, anti-immigrant, anti-working-class sort of policy that is pushing us backwards rather than moving our city forward.”
In May, many street vendors took a stand by testifying at a New York City Council hearing held by the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection.
They advocated for the Street Vendor Reform Package, a series of four bills supported by Council Members Pierina Ana Sanchez, Shekar Krishnan, Carmen De La Rosa, Majority Leader Amanda Farías, and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
SVP continues to collaborate with these Council Members to broaden backing for the proposed reform and has been actively campaigning via social media and press outreach to emphasize the necessity for change.
“The amount of cruel treatment that our community is facing,” Kaufman-Gutierrez expresses.
“It’s not President Donald Trump that is going after street vendors. It’s New York City Council. It’s New York City’s agencies. This is an extremely local issue, and we’re continuing to highlight that in order to make change.”
image source from：qns
