Money From Meters To Help Atlanta’s Homeless Sits Unspent

|

November 10th, 2014

This giving meter sits off Courtland Street in downtown Atlanta. Although monies are collected monthly from the meters, city records show none of the money has gone to help homelessness or aggressive panhandling. In fact, it has gone nowhere.

CENTRAL ATLANTA PROGRESS

When Marti Blackstock started her job in downtown Atlanta as manager at Peachtree Center nine years ago, panhandlers hit her up daily. Some refused to take “no” for an answer. She says the requests became more “aggressive.”

“That’s a very descriptive word for it – aggressive,” she says. “It was folks that would chase visitors, tenants, guests.”

Her company was among the first to place the so-called “giving meters” downtown. And she says they’re effective.

Related

Top Stories