A press conference was held on July 24, 2023, with Alderman Sigcho-Lopez to talk about the security issues local street vendors face. Alderman Sigcho-Lopez and the Little Village Community Council held their own press conference that day as well. They spoke with members of the community to talk about the obstacles they encounter while running their businesses.
These individuals spoke about everything from crime to having food license requirements. Over the previous year, there were constant attacks on street vendors. A few street vendors reported that they were robbed at gunpoint more than once. The vendors are mainly at risk because they work by themselves and normally only take cash. The food licensing arrangement has made it difficult for businesses because of regulations in making food on the carts.
The Officials
Aggravations arrived in the City’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection in an untimely manner in 2023. Merchants and citizens are concerned about consumer protection because of the vendor’s effect on the neighborhood economy. Vendors must be able to pass through many hoops in order to obtain street cart licenses. However, the city does not allow vendors to prepare food to be sold from the cart. For example, elote, which is commonly called Mexican Street Corn. It is freshly cut corn slathered with mayonnaise, cheese, and chilis.
A lot of street vendors must defend themselves from local authorities who are looking for reasons to ticket them and street thugs wanting to steal their money. This, along with the strict licensing rules, creates issues for vendors looking to feed their families.
During her tenure, Lori Lightfoot suggested street vendors switch to cashless means of selling their goods. However, due to many people being technologically illiterate, that option was not viable. Unfortunately, that appeared to be the former mayor’s only solution for the street vendor security issues.
The Dangers
The street vendors of Chicago have worked tirelessly in an attempt to bring awareness to the issues their profession faces on a daily basis. The Street Vendors Association of Chicago led the campaign to push the City Council to legalize street vending in 2015.
Since the SVAC has fought to find justice in compliance for the newly recognized “Street Vendor” profession. However, they have found it to be difficult due to discriminatory practices being presented to some vendors.
For example, additional packaging requirements — which are costly and cause harm to the environment. Another discriminatory practice is eloteros not being recognized as an allowable product to sell, due to free-standing water concerns. However, hot dog vendors get a pass.
Of course, job safety is an issue that many vendors fear. Last year, several local street vendors were robbed, some at gunpoint. As such, community leaders and alderman have asked the 10th district police to step up patrol in the early mornings. To provide extra protection, volunteers have also organized a citizen’s patrol.
Food
A large number of vendors sell garden-fresh products and food in areas where the grocery stores are meager. Yet those individuals have obstacles. Many of those individuals are undocumented immigrants at risk of criminalization. There’s a stern limit on the number of open food vendor sanctions legally authorized in each city. In fact, more individuals decided to street vend for money after losing their jobs during the time of the pandemic.
This while they are still finding it difficult to navigate the erratic web of legal requirements on their own. The community’s answer to food deserts doesn’t always look like major organizational efforts and programs. The enablement of street food is seen as an increase of opportunities to get a fresh meal and cooked food from district business owners. Many of these individuals have struggled with food scarcity their own selves.
Written by Markita Thomas
Sources:
Street Vendors Association of Chicago: 2022 Annual Report
WGN-TV – Community members address security concerns for street vendors
Prism Reports – The criminalization of unlicensed street vendors fuels state – sanctioned violence
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Devyn Caldwell’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of TheeErin‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
