Charitable parking meters to help the homeless may be coming to Palm Springs
Palm Springs city leaders are thinking of bringing back parking meters, but fear not, parking will still remain free in the city.
Instead of paying for parking, residents and visitors alike would be donating to local charities. Officials said the plan is for the money to go towards local non-profits like Well in the Desert for cooling centers, Path of Life for housing or other crisis response and behavioral health programs the city funds.
“Giving money to organizations as opposed to people on the street, that way we know the money is going to the best use,” said Palm Springs council member Christy Holstege.
The city plans on placing two meters on meters on Palm Canyon. Officials hope people donating their change could help spark positive change.
“It’s an issue for Palm Springs and we’re trying to take a leadership role to alleviate homelessness, provide good services,” Holstege said.
The idea is inspired by similar meters in cities across California like Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and San Luis Obispo.
“I think it would be good. If the money is actually going toward the homeless then that’s just going to help them even more instead of something that’s not useful,” one local resident said.
The meters are still in the early stages and the council is waiting to hear feedback from the public to move forward. The council is also still deciding what the design would look like and are considering having artists design their own colorful displays.
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