Our story

Who we are

The Street Vendor Project (SVP) is a membership-based organization of over 2,900 members who champion the rights of street vendors as small businesses to earn a living and contribute to the culture and life of New York City. We strive to expand vending as a viable, lawful employment option for immigrants and other entrepreneurs. We celebrate the long tradition of street vending in NYC and the diversity of cultures and backgrounds from which vendors come, noting that an estimated 95% of street vendors are immigrants who operate at the margins of the formal economy. 

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What we do

Through direct legal representation, small business training, organizing support, leadership development, and strategic legislative advocacy, SVP builds power and community among vendors. Language access is ingrained in every aspect of our work, and we hold capacity in the five most common languages spoken within the vending community: Arabic, Bengali, Mandarin, Spanish, Wolof, French and English.

Street Vendor Project envisions a New York City where street vendors thrive as essential entrepreneurs and anchors of community and culture in the five boroughs. At the core, our work centers on creating a diverse community of street vendor leaders, uniting people across race, class, gender, language and cultural backgrounds. Today, we are the principal voice of vendors advocating for just working conditions, defending against arbitrary harassment by law enforcement, and advocating for the formalization of the vending industry. 

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Read more about our programs, campaigns, and membership: