Passage of Street Vendor Bill Caps Off Years of Advocacy to Bring Opportunity & Justice to Working Immigrant NYers

New York, NY—Today, the New York Immigration Coalition applauded the New York City Council’s passage of Intro 1116, which, among other things, will increase the number of street vendor licenses for the first time since the 1970s. NYIC advocated both within and outside City Hall to ensure the passage of the legislation. The over two year-long advocacy effort included rallies, testimonies, and a robust text to phone banking campaign targeted at key Council Members. In addition to lifting the cap on vendor licenses, Intro 1116 creates a vendor law enforcement unit and an advisory board of street vendors, brick and mortar businesses, and city agencies to facilitate community engagement.

Murad Awawdeh and Rovika Rajkishun, Interim Co-Executive Directors of the New York Immigration Coalition, issued the following statement.

“From hot dog stands to halal carts, to churro sellers, street vendors make up an iconic and vital part of New York City’s local economy. By lifting the arbitrarily low cap on food vendor permits, Intro 1116 helps hard-working New Yorkers avoid an underground market that forces them to either pay exorbitant prices for a permit or work in the shadows. This historic legislation also creates a unit to ensure adherence to regulations and generates revenue for our city during a financial crisis for the benefit of all New Yorkers. The New York Immigration Coalition thanks Council Member Chin and the Street Vendor Project for their leadership and for partnering with us to bring opportunity and relief to working New Yorkers.”