"I was born and raised in the Village of Harlem, where over 20 years ago I decided to take my chances on starting a small business, and became a street vendor. 20 years later, and I'm still waiting to get my general vendor license and still waiting for the chance to even place my name on the waitlist so that I can, in the eyes of the law, call my business my own."
"You want something that's Harlem, you go to a vendor. You can taste the flavor of the community, the flavor of the United States through vendors. We may come from different places and speak different languages, but vendors share a common story. Whether you're White, Black, Chinese, Hungarian, Indian, we are all in the struggle together because we are all vendors."
A vendor from Harlem began street vending over 20 years ago and still cannot obtain a general vendor license or join the waitlist to legalize the business. Decades of government inaction have left 75% of food vendors and 40% of merchandise vendors operating without licenses, treated as criminals and forced to work in the shadows. Street vending contributes neighborhood identity and cultural variety while vendors act as entrepreneurs supporting families. Intro 431-B would allow vendors to apply for new licenses under strict time, manner, and place rules and aims to balance license access with clearer enforcement.
Read at www.amny.com
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