Mamdani establishes New York City's first Office of Street Vendor Services
Updated
Updated · Gothamist · May 4
Mamdani establishes New York City's first Office of Street Vendor Services
9 articles · Updated · Gothamist · May 4
The unit sits within the Department of Small Business Services, led by inaugural executive director Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, and is intended to support about 23,000 food, merchandise and character-art vendors.
Officials say it will help vendors navigate licensing, permits and rules, amid uneven enforcement and a maze of city and state regulations that have left many operating precariously.
The move follows City Council action this year to expand permitting and licensing, aiming to bring more unlicensed sellers into the formal economy and reduce their vulnerability to crackdowns and crime.
As police reportedly ignore new laws, can NYC's vendor office truly protect its most vulnerable entrepreneurs?
After past city programs failed, can a new office fix the decades-old problems facing New York’s 23,000 street vendors?