Should L.A. Emulate Other Cities' Homeless Meters?
Eric Richardson
[Flickr]
Denver placed nearly 100 meters around Downtown as part of its Campaign to End Homelessness.
DENVER — In March of 2007, the city of Denver deployed the first of 86 refurbished parking meters that now stand around Downtown, collecting donations as part of "Denver's Road Home," the city's ten-year campaign to end homelessness.
The meters have a two-fold purpose: collecting money that otherwise would go to panhandlers, and educating the public on the homeless situation and ways to get involved.
An October, 2007, article in USA Today said that the meters didn't generate significant revenue for homeless services, bringing in just $8,500 in the program's first six months. As an education tool, however, the meters seem to do the trick.
"I didn't know about 'Denver's Road Home' until I saw the meters," says [Christine] Bertin, 57, a federal employee who also collects change from co-workers. "I never felt comfortable giving money to (panhandlers). By the same token, it pulls your heartstrings. Now, when people say, 'Do you have a quarter?' I can look them straight in the eye and say, 'I gave at the meter.' "
Downtown L.A. is certainly no stranger to panhandling. Those asking for money aren't afraid of bending the truth to exact funding out of an uninformed public's guilt, talking of hunger while sitting just blocks away from missions with numerous meal times. Though certainly the money generated wouldn't compare to other funding sources, the donation meter concept seems like one the city would do well to consider.
tornadoes28 on July 03, 2008, at 12:30PM – #1
I've worked DT for 8 years and seen a lot of homeless. I seen homeless openly drinking alcohol on the street. I've had a homeless person literally holding a beer and asking me for money.
And the worst is I had a homeless person ask several people for money including me, and the immediately pull out a glass pipe and start smoking crack or meth or something. It wasn't weed, that's for sure.
Why are people dumb enough to give cash to homeless people who are at the highest risk of anyone to use drugs?
Alex on July 03, 2008, at 02:10PM – #2
I, for one, would like to see Downtown LA parking meters "dual tasked" to also collect loose change donations to help end homelessness in Los Angeles. When one hears of Downtown-area drug busts uncovering massive amounts of coins, it becomes disheartening to learn where much of the loose change is currently going.
If nothing else, this would be a great opportunity to get rid of those excess pennies we often find ourselves with. While pennies don't provide parking credit, at least they could be collected for a good cause.
Dennis Smith on July 03, 2008, at 03:00PM – #3
Or people can give donations directly to non-profit organizations that provide services, rehabilitation, outreach and job training. In Los Angeles, the Chrysalis Center has been assisting people in pulling themselves back up for more than twenty years. Many of the purple clad B.I.D. workers got their initial training and assistance from Chrysalis. You can get more information at changelives.org
Perhaps Don Garza can pipe in with suggestions as to what people can do to assist particular groups that he believes are doing the best job of helping to solve problems faced by the homeless and poor in downtown Los Angeles.
Benjamin Pezzillo on July 03, 2008, at 03:23PM – #4
I can't be the only person who has seen clever fiends fish coins out of meters like these.
Don Garza on July 03, 2008, at 09:13PM – #5
The answer:
Stop giving money to non-profits without not expecting them to be accountable with your donations. Then and only then will we end the problem.
Give to those who will actually be accountable to you?
Any social service providers out there doing that?
Speak up.
IF you go to guidestar , even their I990s are 2 years or older.
Brigham on July 03, 2008, at 10:21PM – #6
I never give money to homeless people. Especially when I'm in DTLA. I get asked by half a dozen bozos for money in just a couple of blocks! I exit the subway station at 7th/Hope and start walking east down 7th and I'm by the time I reach the Jewelry District, I felt like I just went through "LA's crazy urban homeless gauntlet." Seriously, it sucks and that is one of the main reasons why I have a huge problem with DTLA.
Nano on July 04, 2008, at 10:02AM – #7
That is really interesting because I rarely have problems with homeless people....
and I have lived down here for over ten years.
I give them money sometimes. But most of the time I just treat them like they are human beings, ask them how they are doing, and wish them well.
They don't scare me. They just make me very sad that we as a society allow veterans and the mentally ill to suffer so publicly.
NoSpareChange on July 04, 2008, at 04:16PM – #8
Nano:
By giving them your money, you are in fact "allowing them to suffer so publicly", by perpetuating their needs and addictions.
Nano on July 04, 2008, at 11:11PM – #9
Well....actually once I give them money, it is none of my business they do with it.
Nobody is telling you to give money. Don't tell me how to spend mine.
I realize what I give is strictly symbolic...but until this city and others actually provides meaningful help to the mentally ill and others....I figure it doesn't hurt to be kind.
As I have said, I am an older woman for chrissakes, and I have never been so freaked out by the homeless as some younger men who are terrified of schizophrenics.
Trust me....the world of terror the average non medicated schizophrenic lives a lot scarier than being panhandled.
NoSpareChange on July 05, 2008, at 12:16AM – #10
Nano:
At first I thought it was just ignorance on your part. That is, the fact that you are very aware of the homeless problem, yet ironically contribute to it (albeit indirectly). What do you honestly think they are using your money for? Life-sustaining food and (non-alcoholic) fluids? I agree with you that it doesn't hurt to be kind, but in your case you're kind of hurting them.
But upon reading your response, specifically where you say you don't care what they do with your money, it seems to me that the real reason you give money to them is just to prove that you're not scared or intimidated by them (like all the other younger folk downtown apparently are). Some kind of ego-stroker, perhaps?
In any case, you seem pretty set in your ways and beliefs (regardless of the facts) so I won't belabor the issue any further. After all, as they say, you can't teach an old dog new tricks.