Sidewalk Vending Programs

Our advocacy work – with our coalition partners – to legalize street vending in Los Angeles and throughout California opened new opportunities for vendors to get their permits and operate their business legally. 

Street vendor with cart
Group seated at meeting table

Sidewalk Vending Pilot

In partnership with LA County’s Department of Economic Opportunity, we launched the Sidewalk Vending Pilot Program in December 2020. In addition to Inclusive Action, this partnership is supported by the work of Community Power Collective, East LA Community Corporation, Public Counsel, and Kounkuey Design Initiative.

This program is focused on supporting street vendors in unincorporated areas of LA County to get their permits and access other resources to support their businesses.

Through this program, we have delivered: 

  • 10 workshops on sidewalk vending permitting to more than 450 total participants
  • Outreach and education to more than 1,000 individual street vendors 

In 2025 and 2026, the program will provide: 

  • One-on-one business support to 220 vendors to support them through the entire sidewalk vending permitting process
  • Free sidewalk vending carts to 200 sidewalk vendors

To learn more about the Sidewalk Vending Pilot, visit the Department of Economic Opportunity website.

Open Air Economy Collaborative

Inclusive Action is also proud to be a part of the Open Air Economy Collaborative – a countywide initiative dedicated to supporting Black and Latina women street vendors and micro-entrepreneurs across LA County. “Open air” economy refers to businesses operating in the informal economy and outdoors, such as on sidewalks, pop-ups, mobile units, and other outdoor markets.

The Collaborative is led by Inclusive Action for the City, in partnership with East LA Community Corporation, Public Counsel, and California Reinvestment Coalition. This project is made possible through JPMorgan Chase’s ambitious $500 million AdvancingCities initiative. As a key part of this effort, the Open Air Economy Collaborative received a generous $5 million philanthropic investment over three years.

To address the challenges faced by Black and Latina women street vendors, the Collaborative provides comprehensive and tailored support. We established formal pathways to help entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of getting their business permits. We provide business coaching, financial literacy, legal aid, and access to capital, such as small business loans, to empower street vendors and micro-entrepreneurs to thrive.

Our program is directly guided by an 11-member Community Advisory Board of Black and Latina small business owners who operate in the informal and “open air” economy across Los Angeles. Their direct experience ensures our services are directly relevant and responsive to the community’s needs.

Through this program, we have:

  • Supported more than 2,000 micro-entrepreneurs in formalizing their businesses
  • Deployed more than $670,000 in capital for these entrepreneurs

Read more about the Open Air Economy Collaborative. 

You can also learn more about other resources for street vendors or read about our advocacy work to advance vendors’ rights and protections.