New parking meters in downtown Indy to help raise money to combat homelessness

INDIANAPOLIS -- Orange and blue parking meters will be popping up around town as part of a new campaign to combat homelessness and panhandling in Downtown Indy. 

Mayor Joe Hogsett, the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention and Downtown Indy, Inc. unveiled details of "Street Reach Indy" at a Tuesday morning press conference.

The parking meters, as well as cash donation boxes, will be used to collect donations to help with homeless outreach efforts. Nine of the meters are currently installed around Downtown with plans for another eleven. Here are the locations where you can find the meters:

• Mass Ave. by Bru Burger
• Mass Ave. - Southwest corner by Metro
• Northwest corner of Washington St. and Meridian St.
• Artsgarden - Southeast corner of Washington St. and Illinois St.
• Southeast corner of Maryland St. and Meridian St.
• Northwest corner of Capitol Ave. and South St.
• East side of College Ave., just south of Broad Ripple Ave.
• Monument Circle - Northwest quadrant (accepts credit cards)
• Georgia St. at  Pennsylvania St. (accepts credit cards)

Cash box locations:

• In front of City-County Building, south side of Market St.
• Southwest corner of Illinois St. and Maryland St.
• Southwest corner of Washington St. and Illinois St.
• By BRICS in Broad Ripple
• Monument Circle - Southeast quadrant at corner of Market St.
• Monument Circle - Southwest quadrant at corner of Meridian St.

There will also be three mobile parking meters that can be used for special events.  Donations can also be made online at www.streetreachindy.org.

Downtown Indy, Inc. has issued a matching funds challenge to encourage people to donate. The group will match, dollar-for-dollar, every dollar dropped in the meters and cash boxes up to the first $50,000 collected.

In addition to the meters and cash donation boxes, a Street Reach Indy manager has been hired to increase Downtown business engagement and get additional funds to help the homeless.

The manager will also help the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention and Downtown Indy, Inc. better understand the housing and homeless situation for panhandlers Downtown. 

According to an initial survey conducted this summer, 95 percent of panhandlers say they are homeless with 61 percent staying Downtown.

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