There have been street vendors in New York City for over 200 years, currently numbering around 20,000. They sell a variety of goods to make a living but face social injustices, as the city uses various methods to try to make street vending illegal. Vendors are denied licenses and face harassment and property seizure by police. The Street Vendor Project works to address these injustices through legal advocacy, educating vendors on their rights, and campaigns to gain public and policymaker support for street vendors' important economic role.

1. The Injustice of Street
Vending
By: Justin Valentin
LLS-100
Latina/os and Justice in New York
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2. S
In New York City there are about Twenty
Thousand street vendors who have been a part
of the society for two hundred years.
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Vendors sell everything they get their hands
on. For instance, hot dogs, phone cases, bags,
glasses, and many more items.
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People see vendors as small business people,
who are trying to make a living by selling on
the street trying to make ends meet.
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According to the Urban Justice Center
community, street vendors are mostly
composed of immigrants and people of color.

3. If you decide to start vending on the streets
you must have General Vendor License.
This license gives you the permission to
sell/lease goods in public places that is not
considered a store. The only times that you
do not need a General Vendor License is
when you are selling anything that is
considered a; written matter, piece of art,
food (requires a license from the
Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene, sell on a private property, or sell
from a stand. To apply for the General
Vendor License you must fill out the
application, need eligibility to apply, need a
passport, and a certificate of authority.
Moreover you need vendor residence form,
proof of home address, and proof of your
tax clearance.

4. S
Ever since street vendors hit our societies, they have been known to be victimized
by the government and by the New York Police Department. The city is finding
every possible way to make street vending illegal which becomes an injustice.
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These vendors have been denied their access to receive their vending licenses for
many reasons. For example, being an immigrant. If the street vendor is an
immigrant, and is street vending, he/she would most likely be deported since they
have no papers. Vendors that are immigrants have a hard time with Police officers
because of the language barrier.
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Another example of the city finding an end to street vending is by if you not
having a license then you will be automatically arrested, and your merchandise
will be taken by the officers. All of a sudden it becomes a criminal act.
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Pursuing this further, another injustice that street vendors face today is how they
are unreasonably harassed by New York police officers, and how their property is
being seized illegally.

5. S
The Street Vendor Project works to improve and correct the social
injustices faced by the vendors on the street.
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One way they reach out to the sellers are by holding clinic to
educate them about vendor rights.
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Vendors are taught to be respectful to the authority, no matter how
much they are harassed. They are also taught to take down the
badge numbers and file complaints against offensive officers.
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Moreover, The Street Vendor Project arranges for the street vendors
to participate in political events that can better their future.
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They hold campaigns to endure the public and the policy makers to
understand the importance of street vendors and the role that they
play in our life.
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Last but not least, they are 1,500 members strong just on active
vendors alone.

6.  In 2006 the Bloomberg administration decided
to quadruple the penalties on licensed street
vendors, from two hundred and fifty dollars to
one thousand dollars per ticket. These infractions
can be consisted of forgetting to show their
license or being to close to the curb. The Street
Vendor Project (SVP) turned it all around after
filing two law suits which came to a conclusion
(two bills were passed) that the maximum ticket
a vendor can get is two hundred and fifty dollars,
and the second is that the only way a fine can
escalate is by the vendor repeating the same
violation.
 The SVP started a collaboration named the
Push Cart Fund. This fund will make loans up to
two thousand dollars to give to New York City
Street Vendors so they can pay off fines that they
received and/or to help their businesses grow.
Some vendors need it to buy new equipment, and
products. Others need it to pay off tickets, or to
renew their license. Additionally, this
collaboration is trying to raise thirty thousand
dollars to give to the vendors which can provide
to fifteen to twenty members that are in need of
help.

7. Market Size:
Billions
Geographic Market
Distribution
Market Forecast:
Billions