SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Selling goods on San Francisco’s Mission Street will soon be banned, city supervisor Hillary Ronen confirmed to KRON4. Ronen said allowing vendors was creating hazards in the area.
“Unfortunately a good intentioned State Law SB 946, which legalized street vending in any public space in California, has led to problems in the Mission District and in many other areas around the City,” she said.
There have long been people selling goods on the street in the Mission District, particularly near the BART stations. Items include anything from clothing, pharmacy products and grocery items.
However, Ronen said San Francisco Department of Public Works employees had been assaulted and threatened by people selling stolen goods on the streets. Other workers wore bulletproof vests to work and filed grievances allowing them to avoid working in the Mission due to fears for their safety.
“The Mission’s vulnerable small businesses and residents deserve streets and a public transportation system that they can easily access and that is safe,” she said.
According to Ronen, she and other city leaders used health and safety records to prove that the vendors were creating hazards.
The ban will go into place in November, but there is a plan in place to help vendors who make an honest living. Ronen says the city is identifying certain spaces where vendors can sell goods and adding resources to programs that will help them find other income sources.
