Championing street vendors out of the shadows
Inclusive Action for the City shares their work to legalize street vending in Los Angeles and the impact it’s had on the community.
In cities like Los Angeles, street vendors are a vibrant part of their community. Up until 2018, these entrepreneurs were cast in the shadows and legally unable to grow their businesses and find their place in the economy. Inclusive Action for the City (IAC) knew this was a problem not only for the vendors, but also the greater community.
When IAC was founded in 2008, one of their first initiatives took them to the streets of Los Angeles to survey the street vending community. This effort highlighted the many challenges street vendors faced as entrepreneurs including harassment and being illegally charged rent for sidewalk space. IAC has since become a leader in the citywide campaign to create a permit system for street vendors, which would legalize street vending in Los Angeles.
“We talked to so many wonderful and open street vendors,” says Rudy Espinoza, Executive Director for IAC. “They shared the challenges and told us they didn’t want to be afraid anymore. They were set back financially every time their property was confiscated.”
IAC worked with several organizations throughout the city to start the LA Street Vendor Campaign. After nearly 10 years of working with government officials, other organizations and street vendors, street vending was finally legalized in LA and sidewalk vending was decriminalized in the state of California.
“The journey was beautiful because of the people we worked with,” says Espinoza. “The campaign was led by street vendor leaders who are still active in their communities. What’s more, vendors are now able to take a formal step on the financial ladder because a permit protects and honors them within our economy.”
Since the legalization of street vending, nearly 2,800 entrepreneurs have received their permits from the city. In…
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