Parking meters to help homeless

CLEVELAND (AP) — New parking meters are going up in the city, but they will help the homeless and not government coffers.

The Generocity Cleveland campaign will place 15 lime-green and red parking meters in the city to raise money for the Downtown Cleveland Alliance’s Downtown Homeless Fund. Alliance President Joe Marinucci says the number will eventually grow to 40.

The campaign is a partnership between the Alliance, the city of Cleveland, the faith-based community and property owners.

There will be no parking allowed at the meters, which will be bolted to the ground in areas that are frequented by panhandlers. The goal is to attract more visitors to downtown by discouraging panhandling while simultaneously raising money for the homeless.