Oakland CARES Act: Street Vendor Support and Grants

The Oakland CARES Act Street Food Vendor pilot project, funded with $75,000 in CARES Act Funding and led by the Feed the Hunger Fund, addressed key challenges that street food vendors face in their efforts to emerge from the informal economy. To aid the street vendors in their efforts to comply with permits and secure equipment and supplies, grants – ranging from $2,000 to $4,000 – were awarded to 18 vendors. Of these grant recipients, 70 percent were Latinx and 67 percent were women. Comprehensive technical assistance was provided to vendors to improve their business practices and access to capital.