June 23rd 2023.
Debt is becoming an increasingly pressing issue for street vendors in the District of Columbia. On June 20th, 2023, a group of seven D.C. residents filed a lawsuit against the city after being denied licensing due to unpaid debt. This group of street vendors had been affected by the Clean Hands Law, which prohibits anyone with outstanding debt from obtaining the necessary licenses.
The lawsuit itself highlighted the unfairness of the Clean Hands Law, as it pointed out that this policy creates a poverty trap for the city’s most vulnerable and impoverished residents. This was echoed by 63-year-old immigrant from Ethiopia and food street vendor, Kahssay Ghebrebrhan, who said he was unable to pay off his debt without the ability to work.
Ariel Levinson-Waldman, an attorney for the group, further argued that the Clean Hands Law punishes poverty and is a major roadblock for those looking to join the workforce. He encouraged the court to provide relief and urged the council to reform the Clean Hands Law.
At the beginning of 2023, the D.C. Bar reported a lawsuit against the Clean Hands Law for preventing people from getting or renewing their licenses if they owed $100 or more in parking or traffic fines. Tzedek DC and Venable LLP filed the lawsuit, with Levinson-Waldman claiming that the law was contributing to the large discrepancy between arrest rates for white and black D.C. residents.
The Clean Hands Law has had a significant and lasting impact on street vendors in the District of Columbia and it is clear that more needs to be done to provide relief for those affected. The city must do more to ensure that its most vulnerable citizens are not left behind.
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