Patch
"The Street Vendor Project had advocated for the cap on the number of permits to be eliminated. Still, the organization's director, Mohamed Attia, called the bill an improvement over the current "broken and outdated" system."Grub Street
"The food was part of a program that’s been organized by the Street Vendor Project, a nonprofit union and workers center that advocates for vendors rights in New York City. The meals were provided to people in need and cooked by others in need."Long Island City Post
"Mohamed Attia, director of the Street Vendor Project of the Urban Justice Center, said in a statement that previous aid packages had left out street vendors. “Street vendors are part of the culture and fabric of NYC but unfortunately they have suffered mightily during this current pandemic and have been all but abandoned by COVID-19 recovery efforts,” he said."Quartz
"Many of the operators in New York are immigrant Hispanic residents who commute from outer boroughs with incomes that have to support multiple people, according to a 2019 survey by the Street Vendor Project."Queens Daily Eagle
"The Street Vendor Project, a nonprofit that advocates for the rights of the largely immigrant workforce, tweeted their support for the new policy. “What does today's shift to a civilian agency regulating vending mean?” the organization wrote. “Vendors can serve NYC without fear of arrest by officers [with] guns.'"CNBC
"With these small businesses that are such a vital part of New York City barely surviving, Morgan Stanley and the Robin Hood foundation have partnered with the Street Vendor Project (SVP) at the Urban Justice Center (all headquartered in New York) to distribute millions of dollars to thousands of local vendors."Brian Lehrer Show
Mohamed Attia, director of the Urban Justice Center's Street Vendor Project, talks about their work on behalf of the many undocumented street vendors cut off from government assistance during the pandemic.Brooklyn Paper
According to Mohamed Attia from the Urban Justice Center, as many as 20,000 people may be selling food and other goods in the streets of the five boroughs — legally or illegally. “The city has failed in regulating street vending. The city has failed in supporting street vendors, the most marginalized small businesses in our city didn’t get any support before COVID, during COVID or after COVID,” Attia said.AM NY
According to Mohamed Attia from the Urban Justice Center, while vendor permits are capped at 4,000, there could be as many as 20,000 people selling food and other goods in the streets of the five boroughs. “The city has failed in regulating street vending, the city has failed in supporting street vendors, the most marginalized small businesses in our city didn’t get any support before COVID, during COVID or after COVID,” Attia said. “Intro. 1116 will be the first step in the right direction… It is only one step in a very long road.”Patch
In a news release, the Urban Justice Center said some vendors are known to pay up to $25,000 for permits sold in an underground market while others continue selling food without permits. The group also alleges the city's 'Open Restaurants' and 'Open Storefront' initiatives are hypocritical and unjust, allowing 10,000 restaurants to serve food on the streets while vendors struggle.© 2023 Urban Justice Center | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
