AUSTIN -- Homeless hotspots during the SXSW festival last year spurred a lot of debate.
A New York ad agency paid homeless people $50 per day, for five to six hours of work, to carry and advertise wireless Internet access. Every dollar donated to the program went straight to those who participated. They were also paid $20 cash upfront for each day worked during the four-day initiative.
It caused an outpouring of opinions, many people called it dehumanizing and exploitative. But the local nonprofit Front Steps told KVUE Tuesday that 11 of the 13 people who were part of that program now have housing because of the money they earned.
