(file photo from ktla.com)

A Los Angeles City Council committee recommended last week that a pilot program allowing homeless people to perform community service to resolve parking citations instead of paying a fine become a permanent city program.

The program allows people who meet the federal definition of being homeless to apply to perform social or community services instead of paying the citation fine. The program, called the Community Assistance Parking Program, began about a year ago and covers a maximum of 10 parking citations and up to a combined value of $1,500 per year.

Homeless people have resolved 505 citations totaling $79,872.50 via community service through the program, with an additional 184 citations totaling $25,932.71 already approved and pending community service work, according to the city Department of Transportation.

The Transportation Committee recommended making the program permanent and moving it out of the pilot stage. The issue will now move to the full council.