At a Town Hall meeting on Thursday evening at 6 in downtown Los Angeles, residents of South L.A. will have an opportunity to put pressure on the city to legalize street food vending.
The 2½-hour meeting will be at the Community Financial Resource Center, 4060 S. Figueroa St. This is the fourth in a series of town halls throughout Los Angeles, rounding up Boyle Heights, MacArthur Park, North East Los Angeles, South L.A. and the San Fernando Valley.
Though Los Angeles is known for its rich street food culture, currently the sale of food items on sidewalks is illegal.
Community residents are coming together to persuade the Los Angeles City Council to quickly implement a policy that will provide a licensing process for vendors to sell street foods without fear of penalization.
Why? South L.A. is home to 680,000 residents. Unfortunately, this area also suffers from a staggering unemployment rate of more than 20 percent.
In today’s economy, this leaves residents vulnerable, forcing them to depend on alternative ways of generating income, such as street food vending.
Legalization of street vending can provide relief and an opportunity for entrepreneurship throughout the city.
Many persons believe it is time for Los Angeles to look at other models of economic development, to join Chicago, Dallas, Houston and New York City in legalizing street vending. Residents are calling for a policy that can provide opportunities for residents to make a living while supporting the rich culture they say street food brings to the city.
The co-sponsors:
Community Financial Resource Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping small businesses and residents build assets all over Los Angeles County. Among many programs, they offes micro-loans and business education to food entrepreneurs like street vendors.
East LA Community Corp. is a community development corporation that has been working with street vendors and community members for the last three years to have this form of entrepreneurship recognized and supported by the city. Other partners include Los Angeles Urban Renewal Network and the Urban Education Policy Institute. This meeting is the result of these collaborative efforts.
Mr. Espinoza may be contacted at 323.846.1483.
