A 24-hour ban on panhandling in parts of the downtown Austin area took one step closer to becoming reality Wednesday evening at Austin City Hall.

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KVUE's Shelton Green reports

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The Austin Downtown Commission voted overwhelmingly Wednesday evening to support a proposal which would beef up the city's current panhandling ordinance.

In 2005, the City of Austin created an ordinance against panhandling in parts of the downtown area from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.  Panhandling near a bus stop, a marked crosswalk or within 25-feet of an automated teller machine or a bank could result in a ticket, a Class C Misdemeanor.

Over the past several months more than 100-people representing 35-organizations, including downtown businesses, residents and promoters of large events, met several times together and have come up with a proposal to create the ban. 

The proposed amendment to the current ban includes an area bordered by San Antonio to the west, 11th to the north, the frontage road of I-35 to the east and Cesar Chavez to the south.

"Currently the ban is only at night, so people are panhandling all day long and that often happens in an aggressive manner. It's offensive to the folks that visit downtown and it's also disruptive to the folks that provide our social services", said Bill Brice with the Downtown Austin Alliance (DAA), the group which made the presentation Wednesday evening to the Austin Downtown Commission.

Brice says the DAA. is currently talking to Austin City Council members about beefing up the current panhandling ban; however, it's unclear as to when the city expects to take action if any.

Social services like Caritas, who help the less fortunate with everything from food to housing, told KVUE they and many other agencies support the 24-hour panhandling ban.

Beth Atherton, executive director of Caritas, says most people think panhandling is a homeless issue.  But she says most people who panhandle are not homeless and the best way to help the less fortunate is by giving time or money to agencies which provide services for those without.

"If we want to keep our streets safe and secure I think that probably not handing out money on the street corners is probably the best option. If you want to give someone something we have other options", said Atherton.

Caritas recently came up with what the agency call “CAR kits,” packages including a pair of socks, a bottle of water, crackers and a list of social services to help the less fortunate find the help they need.  Citizens can purchase the kits for $5 each.