Pasadena Uses Meters To Raise Change For Homeless Population

PASADENA (AP) — The city of Pasadena is letting homeless people keep the change.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Pasadena is turning 14 of its parking meters into repositories for donations made to nonprofits that serve the homeless.

Pasadena's housing director, Bill Huang, says the hope is that people who might be reluctant to hand spare change to a panhandler will be more open to putting it in a meter. That way, he says, they know it will be used for something beneficial.

So far the pilot program's first two meters have raised about $270 over three weeks.

Some homeless advocates complain the meters aren't a serious enough effort to help the homeless. They also say that in some cities meters have been used to push panhandlers out of town.