Penticton’s homeless benefit by more than $700 in parking ticket program

PENTICTON – The success of the City of Penticton’s recent partnership with 100 Homes Penticton by providing parking and traffic ticket fines to the homeless shelter advocates group is tough to assess, but seems to have gone well, says the city.

Bylaw supervisor Tina Siebert says staff weren’t sure how willing residents might be to participate in the inaugural program, which ran from Dec. 12 to the end of the month.

Those receiving traffic and parking fines issued by the city were given the option of having the ticket reduced to a warning if they were willing to donate the ticketed proceeds to 100 Homes Penticton, a group involved in providing shelter for the city’s homeless.

The campaign raised $720.

“We really had no idea the amount we were expecting, and we’re thankful for the money raised for 100 Homes Penticton,” Siebert says.

The exact number of donations versus total number of tickets issued hasn’t been calculated, nor had the exact number of tickets issued during the time period, but Siebert says the majority of those issued tickets opted to donate.

“Some just didn’t bother, some weren’t interested, and others wanted a tax receipt,” Siebert says of those who opted to just pay the fine.

There was no additional administrative cost to the city for the program, Siebert says, adding it only took a minor administrative change to ask those ticketed if they wanted to participate and if so, redirect the money to 100 Homes.

Siebert says the program went well, and would be something to consider next year should the need still be apparent.

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