What do you do for homeless people?

I live in the downtown area of a small city. Not tons of homeless but I see them every time I'm out. Alot of them are really strung out and I don't want to give them money for drugs, so now I carry some food with me. I usually have a sandwich from the supermarket or some energy bars. I used to bring them into a deli or a fast food outlet and buy them food, but found that they were waiting for me everyday to treat them and I can't keep that up.

Have you not read the touched by s hobo thread?

I donate to food pantries and kitchens.

Am extremely reluctant to donate to someone on the street, for several of the reasons R1 states.

I work for a homeless shelter.

That was a fine generous impulse OP. I haven't done anything for the homeless in many years. In my town there are several well funded shelters but people here claim that most of the government money goes to salaries and bullshit, not housing or mental health. One night I came out of a Trader Joe's and see two employees lugging a large bucket of water over to a policeman who was standing over a man crouched on the sidewalk, filthy and clearly out of it. The cop had instructed the two guys to dump the water on him. I was appalled. No one was protesting this, so I did and stopped it. That's all I've got.

R5 why don’t you give a little money to the homeless people when you see them?

It depends on how hot they are.

I vote

I'm not R5, but if you've ever worked at a busy urban hospital you'll recognize many of the nearby homeless as frequent flyers (meaning they're constantly at the ER). The money goes to drugs and alcohol, so if I give to them directly it's food or toiletries. Money goes to trusted organizations that help them in other ways.

Some will argue "They're miserable, they have nothing. If they spend the cash on booze, I don't care." It's easy to say that when you're not the one who deals with the gory, sometimes deadly aftermath.

I stopped giving to people asking for money on the street when I had one of them grab my wallet and steal its contents. Never again.

For a while when I lived in Chicago, if I had time and was asked, I would offer to go to a nearby restaurant for them. In that time, I told probably 20 people I would do that for them, and exactly one person took me up on it. The rest were just hoping for money for booze/drugs.

Sorry, it's reality. I help organizations that exist to help feed the homeless all the time, but giving money on the street is generally not good for the giver or recipient.

OP, you're obviously a kind person, but the truth is that both those homeless people likely spent that money on alcohol or drugs.

The studies have shown that 80% of all homeless people in cities are homeless because they want to be. They suffer from various mental illnesses, and don't want to be in any situation where others can tell them what to do, such as homeless shelters.

But to your initial question, of what do you do for homeless people? Sadly there's little to nothing you or I can do for them. And as sad as it makes me to say this, the only thing I can come up with that will deal with the plight of the homeless is the states and the federal government to stop wasting so much money on useless projects and spend some on providing a place for these people to live and get them off the streets. For those who are too mentally ill to live on their own they should be placed in some sort of facility where they can be treated until they can be deemed able to live independently. For those who are too far gone for that, well I'm sad to say putting them in some sort of facility where their ability to wander the streets is taken from them. Not prisons per se, unless they are committing criminal acts, but a facility they can't leave.

I wonder what percent of people are seriously mentally ill. Wouldn’t it be worth it for cities to build apartment buildings with a nurse in a little office stationed on each floor and a security guard in the lobby? It seems to me much less expensive than the fallout in a city like Sam Francisco which is now only known internationally for the massiveness of their homeless problem.

R11 I agree......I know several social workers that agree. No situation is ideal or perfect, but the huge increase of mentally ill/homeless on the streets shows the desperate need we have for facilities like this. The push to "mainstream" people is a bad one, in this case and in the case of students with learning disabilities, too.

And for all of you wondering why we don't have facilities or people to watch the homeless and/or mentally ill.....

YES, we used to have those places. Corporations have been working hard to not pay any taxes for decades now, and this is what happens when local/state budgets are starved, those services can't be provided.

Never mind that Amazon could be taxed a measly one half of one percent and fund so much.....but no, that's antibusiness and can't be done.

R4 at your shelter, do you ever see situations where someone is able to get off the street?

I know what the republicans want for the homeless (as well as all people who depend on Medicaid/Section 8/Welfare & any other social service for the poor). They want them all to fucking die as fast as possible.

A butch homeless chick once asked me “Do you have any money? My girlfriend is being a bitch” as I was walking down Queen St. in Toronto.

I gave her some money of course.

[quote]Wouldn’t it be worth it for cities to build apartment buildings with a nurse in a little office stationed on each floor and a security guard in the lobby?

What you're describing is a very understaffed psych hospital. No, it wouldn't be cheap and it would turn into a surrealistic, shit smeared hell hole in less than a week.

When you're dealing with a large percentage of the homeless population in the US whatever solution you come up with (if it's to work) will be something done against the will of those people it's meant to take care of. It's sad but it's at the point where what the homeless want can not be taken into consideration, in most cases.

r15, absolutely! HOWEVER

drugs are ravaging our communities. severe mental illness is swept under the rug- there's little to no funding for it. There's almost zero affordable housing (for anyone). The amount of shuffling issues needed to be done to house and support someone is staggering. First just providing safe, on demand overnight Shelter. then hooking them up (and fully supporting long term) with mental health and drug counseling and services. Getting them reliably connected with disability, ssi, welfare etc. THEN working on housing. That's for individuals.

Families are similar sometimes but can be completely different in that sometimes it's literally just homelessness. It's not something that can be 'fixed' by Shelters. The state and local communities need to be on board from everything from safe drug sites, prosecuting dealers, allowing housing, mental health and drug facilities. It's very similar to dog rescue in that it's not going to end.

It also needs to be addressed that we need mental institutions again. people who are against them, I just hear 'I am ok with people living worse than in 3rd world countries because we are pretending that they can make the rational decision otherwise'

I also work for a hospital and if I run into them on the street or parking lot near it, I will give them a food voucher for inside. If outside/at a stop light, whatever, I try to keep a couple McDonald's gift cards on me so that I can give those out. Cash will definitely be used for alc / drugs in most cases. I've given a few people jackets or sweaters I had in my car and one time I had a laundry basket, they saw it, and asked for socks. I gave them what I had. If you are around these areas toiletry bags, bags of essentials like sweats or socks or used shoes are a good idea.

Money isn’t the problem. You could give until you’re bankrupt and you wouldn’t solve the problem. We need mental health residential facilities and hospitals to care for these people. And drug treatment residential facilities. But that requires political leadership, and we don’t have that in the U.S.

My deceased mother-in-law worked in social services her entire (lengthy) career. She advised anyone who would listen to never give homeless people cash and instead either give them food or offer to buy them a meal. She also recommended participation in a government-sponsored token system in which you could buy and give tokens good for meals, shelter and clothing, but that proved unsuccessful because as we're all stating here anecdotally, they prefer to buy alcohol or drugs. I get it; giving someone $20 isn't going to get them an apartment or even a room in a motel for the night, but it will give them temporary mental respite to drink a liter of vodka.

To answer OP's question: I owned and operated a small pet supply store for many years. It was heartbreaking when you'd see someone living on the streets with a pet, and I would give them food and supplies for their pet. It didn't take long for two things to happen: the first was that I was inundated with people asking for dog food, not a problem per se, but it got out of control and I soon had homeless people threatening customers on their way in our out of my store. The straw that broke the food-handouts back was when one assaulted a customer who (rightly) called the police. They told me it was a mistake to do this and it was turning my store into a homeless resource that was only going to get worse.

The second thing that happened (before I finally stopped giving away dog food) was a confrontation with a social activist who saw me give kibble to a homeless guy with a dog in his shopping cart. She went off on me for caring more about the dog than the human and I was flabbergasted. This was no minor disagreement; she yelled at me and caused a scene in front of my store that put me in a no-win situation. She actually shouted to passers-by that I was forcing homeless people to eat dog food. The more I tried to calm her down the louder she got. I finally had to call the police and of course she ran off before they arrived. From just my description they recognized her and advised me to 1) avoid interacting with her and if I see her to 2) call them. Big help.

This is the dilemma of homelessness in a nutshell. I created my own problem. I had to admit that trying to help was making the situation worse for me and my business neighbors. It was hard to stop handing out pet food and instead donate it to the homeless shelter that, ironically, would not allow anyone with a pet inside. They would give them the dog food and send them on their way. At least they were trained and equipped to deal with the problem such as it is, but far more than me.

it is still seared into my memory these almost 40 years later. I was driving back to the office one day from lunch. As I was stopped on the freeway off ramp a homeless man with a sign was walking up the ramp asking every car for money. When he got to me I told him I didn't have any money but I would gladly go to a Burger King nearby and buy him food and bring it back. He became enraged and screamed at me "I DON'T NEED ANY FUCKIN' FOOD YOU ASSHOLE, I NEED MONEY". I couldn't get my windows up and doors locked any faster.

There are tens of thousands of huge empty buildings all over the US the government could buy and convert into shelters. There is absolutely no need to build any new buildings. But nothing is going to change until the democrats gain full and absolute control over both houses of Congress and the White House.

I'll give them cash if I have any on me and I donate clothes to a homeless shelter.

Also, covid has proven that we CAN house people, we just choose not to. All of the funds provided to motels could be used to build housing, mental and drug facilities and get people taken care of. No one wants to lay out that amount of money though even though realistically putting bandages on the situation is more expensive. The motels raped the system.

Boy has my heart hardened these past few years in Portland. Especially after one episode in the fall when I was chased two blocks in downtown by a homeless - I assume paranoid schizophrenic - with a huge knife accusing me of laughing at him

[quote]There are tens of thousands of huge empty buildings all over the US the government could buy and convert into shelters.

Assuming you're talking about office buildings and warehouse space, this is harder than you think. These buildings were constructed without the necessary plumbing, HVAC and infrastructure to handle residency. The spaces are easily reconfigurable with regard to walls, but moving or augmenting the plumbing stack will cost more than building a new space from scratch. Add to that the fact that this empty space exists in some of the highest-cost areas in any given city/state (with no easy access to basics like grocery stores, laundromats, and the kinds of things you need for day-to-day living), and it really isn't possible to efficiently or cost-effectively convert space.

I brake.

I live in downtown Philadelphia and I never make eye contact or cross the street....I find that most are crazy

I give cash to the panhandlers, donate winter clothing of mine that's in good shape but don't wear anymore to the homeless shelter.

[quote]I live in downtown Philadelphia and I never make eye contact or cross the street....I find that most are crazy

[italic]She calls out to the man on the street..."Sir can you help me? It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep. Is there somewhere you can tell me?" He walks on. Doesn't look back. He pretends he can't hear her. Starts to whistle as he crosses the street. Seems embarrassed to be there...[/italic]

--Phil Collins - ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE

If I was homeless, I'd spend any money I got on drugs and alcohol too. I don't judge that impulse at all.

Still, I give food, not money, when I am able to give at all.

I live in Los Angeles and it's truly heartbreaking and, frankly, overwhelming.

Sorry, miss, but I've got troubles of my own.

My city had a facility run by the county mental health agency. It was a combination homeless facility/outpatient mental health residence. A nurse was on duty during the day to dispense medication. Aides were on duty at night to dispense medication. It was a good place for schizophrenics and people with bipolar disorder to live so they could come and go at will, but have someone keeping an eye on things. They had to keep up with their meds to maintain residency. Things fell apart when HUD insisted on facilities receiving federal funds for the homeless to admit any and all homeless people. They lost their contract, but I don't think they were broken up about it. I know someone who works at an agency across the street. It's now a diversion facility so that mental patients can be kept out of the county jail when possible.

I've had health issues over the last 18 months that have, unfortunately, led me on several occasions to seek care in the ER.

I mention this because every time I have done so, homeless people have been at least 25 percent of the other people in the ER. (I believe the state has made it illegal to refuse them.) A few of them had bloodwork done for some BS thing and asked for a sandwich. One person had KFC delivered, which someone at the hospital had to pay for, of course. Some wanted a place to sleep.

(I don't have an issue with them seeking food or shelter and the shelter should be adjacent to the hospital, but it does take away physicians and time from people who need it.)

I'm homeless but I haven't spent a day on the streets and I lie and hide it as much as possible. I'd recommend going to a subreddit or something for homelessness and looking for cases that aren't due to drug addiction, etc. Help somebody that's experiencing medical debt pay for a hotel room, give a mom living in a van with her kids a loaded gift card for a grocery store. Offer to reimburse somebody for a veterinary checkup or an antibiotic prescription. I myself am pretty wary of the homeless. Most of my neighbors are clearly active criminals and the even lower tier that are streetbound are raving lunatics for the most part. Bad luck cases are likely in your local motels or safe parking lots if your area has them.

or better yet try to find a credible local organization that does good work and volunteer, probably safer for you and certainly more effective

There's a decent chance I'll be homeless later this year. I'm working hard to make sure that doesn't happen, but we'll see.

Go to fast food places and buy gift cards in small amounts like $5 or $10. Give those instead of cash. That way, they can eat and not use it for drug money although they most likely will just sell it for drug money.

What don’t I do!

For 10 years I worked in an area that had a homeless population due to the shelter that was close by.

It sucked being constantly hounded, guilted, harassed.

Now I work in a building off the highway so I haven’t seen a homeless person in 2.5 years and I’m grateful.

I give to international aid organizations….A lot of homeless people out there due to war and famine.

Nothing. Don't get involved. I have had negative experiences dealing with homeless people so I give them a wide berth. Someone will help them but it won't be me.

There are numerous Homeless Centers in the medium size city where I live, job training programs, all sort of assistance yet there are still people who prefer to live on the streets. I have known one person who will hang out on street corners begging for money claiming to be homeless and he wasn't. One business gave him a job, he worked it one day and quit, said he could make more money begging. Local news media has done numerous stories about people on street corners begging for money and video of them walking to nice cars and driving to nice homes. I wish we lived in a better world where people didn't prefer to homeless than to seek help, and people who weren't homeless didn't take advantage of good people trying to help.

I have donated to Ozone House in Ann Arbor for LGBT people in the past but it has been a while.

I tell them I’m glad to be moving to the suburbs. Far out, car dependent suburbs, full of fancy houses.

There aren’t any near me and I stay out of areas that have homeless people living on the streets.

I do support the food pantry though.

I have an automatic monthly donation (small) to our local food pantry (and to the SPCA.)

I’ve purchased meals & dog food. There is an organization for the homeless that has a wish list on Amazon. I’ve purchased things there.

Where are you people living that there are no homeless people in the suburbs? They have bikes where I live and can even be found in the suburbs

R46 I would, and should, donate more to places like Ozone and Covenant House. I am 100 percent behind that, because LGBT people <25 are a huge community of homeless - they get thrown out at home but are too young to sign a lease, etc.

Handjobs.

Buy items from the Amazon Wish Lists for Ali Forney Center and Inside Out (Portland). They help homeless young queers.

Otherwise, jack squat. No money on the street. No open showers.

R52 No blowies?

I’ve bought food for people, but I don’t usually give cash, especially if they look like drug users.

[quote]Where are you people living that there are no homeless people in the suburbs?

I hate to say it but I love living it: in my little town, they simply don't allow homeless people to lay about. If someone appears at the intersection holding a sign, within minutes a sheriff's cruiser pulls up and offers them a ride out of town or to jail. We have a lovely community park with a ton of resources: six tennis courts, two basketball courts, a huge playground with dozens of swings, jungle-gym bars, slides and a sandbox big enough for a sand castle building contest, community space for the Friday farmers' market, parking for 50+ cars, and a heated/air conditioned restroom with running hot water, and paper towels in the dispensers. IOW, a perfect homeless encampment. It also has full time security and while homeless folks are welcome and do use the facilities, but if they linger, harass patrons, or become a problem, they are again offered a ride out of town or to jail.

It's total NIMBY and makes homeless activist heads explode, but it makes for a pleasant experience getting a cup of coffee, grocery shopping and running errands.

R56 Basically they only want productive members of society.

R56 sounds great.

They are starting more of that in our town, though they are ALSO building a new shelter for homeless people as well, and building some affordable housing, too.

They try to work with people who need help, but they're arresting and jailing the criminals, which are always a part of any homeless group - not all of them, to be sure, but a part.

I give them advice and tell them to keep their chin up.

[quote]On Xmas day, I saw a homeless black man trying to hold onto two shopping carts of his things on a subway, and I went up to him and gave him $20. When he said Merry Christmas, I went back to my seat and cried. I had $70 cash and I should have given it all to him. I gave $10 to another homeless man sitting in the rain the other day.

It sounds like when you deal with homeless people, race is rather important to you. You mentioned the first man was Black - so you gave him $20. You didn't mention the second man's race - but you gave him half the amount. So one can assume he's not Black. Can't you treat them all the same if you're giving out money on Christmas day, no matter their race ?

I don't get the "I don't give them money because they will use it for drugs/alcohol". Of course they are going to use it for booze or drugs, their lives are miserable. What else should they use it for...put onto their saving account? You would use it for that too, if you were living on a cardboard box

I have bought homeless people food and given them money. The former threw the food on the ground demanding that I give him cash instead; the latter told me that it wasn’t enough. One woman chased after me and tried to step on my foot. Another called me a racial slur when I asked her if she needed help. So, I’m done with extending my hand to help them anymore. Many of them are mentally ill, which is risky for anyone trying to help them. Let someone else put themselves out for them. R45

We are starting to see panhandlers standing on the median strip off a main throughway in our City. They have signs printed with messages, and people hand bills out the window to them. But it’s a little dangerous because they move between cars to try and make eye contact with drivers, and some come close to being hit by cars. It’s not great. I give to the food bank and also volunteer (pass crates of food to cars that line up in a stadium parking lot). Most recipients are pretty gracious. Some seem embarrassed and frustrated by their situations. I can understand that. It could happen to anyone, I know.

R56 Are you in Kansas or a nearby state?

R61 - the point is I’d rather the money be used for food rather than contributing to their addiction. Why would I want to contribute to that?

R63 Some of them want to get hit by a car. They'd get a few nights in a hospital bed, and maybe some quick kashish from the driver's insurance.

I pay taxes

I have have a state of the art video system to keep them off my property

I hire a select few for handyman projects and pay them well

Institutions need to brought back to handle the severely or violent mentally Ill to protect society at large .

There was a place called 2 Lil Fishes in Chicago and I donated to them several times a year.

They made 4 hot meals a week for anyone who walked in their door. That, I am happy to support.

A panhandler on the NYC subway was making a heartfelt plea for change or any food or water.

I realized I had a boxed meal I hadn’t eaten on a work trip. I spoke up and he came over. Then he wanted to see what was in it, annoyed, and when I said sandwich, he said, “What kind?” and sneered at turkey.

It was clear he really wanted cash. Fair enough. But he missed out on a cookie by being persnickety.

UK here. I buy the Big Issue a magazine which focuses on housing issues and social inequality. It is sold by homeless people, who get a cut of the profit they make. It gives people a purpose and dignity rather than begging, and has had many successful outcomes for vendors.

Give to the shelter and food bank, nothing to the panhandlers, the police say not to give them anything, most are fake.

A homeless man once asked me for money for food. I said no but later, brought him half of my sandwich and he wasn't interested. Acted like he didn't understand me.

I have bipolar disorder and I currently work as a peer counselor at a respite for the mentally ill. It's a place where people can come for 7 days. We have 7 beds available but rarely have more than 4 people. I'm at work now and we only have 1. Most of them are in a situation that they need out of. They're paranoid and convinced their neighbors want to kill them or they are experiencing emotional abuse by roommates, parents, etc. They are technically required to have a place to go when their 7 days is up but a lot of them are homeless. I can give them addresses and phone numbers of shelters but that's about it. They can reapply to return in 28 days and can stay here up to 4 times a year. I don't get paid much, but when the governor signs a bill to put more money into caring for the mentally ill, I get a bonus. We do not have nurses or security guards on staff. During my shifts, it's just me and maybe another peer counselor depending on the day. We are available to talk, we can lead discussions, play games, but mostly, we're just here to be here. A lot of them say it's just comforting to know we're here. AMA.

I tell them to stay away from Crypto currencies and to invest in index funds.

R70 Chicago has a similar publication (StreetWise) though it does not seem to be as well run or organized as BigIssue - that one looks very well done.

I once had a black lady in DC screaming at me that I was racist (i'm a white guy) because I offered to buy her breakfast instead of just giving her cash. (She was holding up a sign saying she hadn't eaten in days, BTW). Episodes like that make me not want to engage.

[quote] I don't get the "I don't give them money because they will use it for drugs/alcohol". Of course they are going to use it for booze or drugs, their lives are miserable. What else should they use it for...put onto their saving account? You would use it for that too, if you were living on a cardboard box

No I wouldn't use it for drugs, I would use it for a tent or a tarp.

Best to give to the shelters, charities and churches. Volunteer you time if you have no money. But I wouldn't give cash to addicts.

I do nothing. I work for a nonprofit that helps people in poverty. I can’t afford to give money to the homeless and when I’m done with work, I’m too drained to volunteer anywhere.

Some very kind people on this thread ❤️

I gave a friend who has been a RN in a psych hospital for 20+ years - the addiction recovery unit. She gets plenty of homeless people every day for certain medical issues. She has warned me time and time again - DO NOT GIVE CASH. Offer to go and bring take-out to them to McDonald's or other fast food restaurants, offer them Gatorade on a hot day if they're standing outside, or bring supplies to the nearby shelters (if you travel, stock up on travel toothpaste and toothbrushes / shampoos / soaps - the shelters always welcome travel size toiletries. DO NOT GIVE CASH.

I never understand homeless people living in some of the most expensive cities in the world. And there is a difference between a homeless person and a street person.

I pray for them.

Many thought and prayer.

I know people say do not give them cash, but if I'm going into the city, I budget on giving at least four beggars I encounter a fiver each. Shelters actually charge them to stay each night in our country and if the homeless are desperate for drugs, I'd rather give them something to help prevent them stealing. Most of my friends are the same, although a couple give larger amounts.

If they're addicted, I just don't see them getting clean because I give them a sandwich and a drink. People will always give them money.

I was shocked to see such a high amount of homeless young people in Vancouver BC several years ago...have things improved or gotten worse?

Give em $20. Maybe they'll buy a bottle of something good enough it'll get em into a program faster

I knew a counselor in a VA program who said, "If you'da give me a damn hamburger when I was on the street I woulda punched ya in the nose. I didn't want no damn hamburger!"

[quote] On Xmas day, I saw a homeless black man trying to hold onto two shopping carts of his things on a subway, and I went up to him and gave him $20. When he said Merry Christmas, I went back to my seat and cried. I had $70 cash and I should have given it all to him. I gave $10 to another homeless man sitting in the rain the other day.

Wait--you cried because you only gave him $20 and should have given him more... but then the next time you did it you gave half as much as the first time??

Spare us the tears next time.

I volunteered at a soup kitchen in NYC for nearly 4 years in the 90s.

Donate socks to homeless shelters. Its a small thing but a large need. A friend working with the homeless advised never give cash but if you feel safe enough offer to buy food.

Homeless people don't accept gift cards to restaurants either, they will sell them to buy booze or drugs.

One thing that a lot of people do is, if they travel a lot they have a bag that they collect the shampoo, soap and conditioner that is provided (the little containers) and when the bag is full they drop it off with us. Shampoo, deodorant, razors, tampons, pads, diapers, socks, underwear, lotion (not scented, stuff for extremely dry skin), toothpaste and brushes and nail clippers are extremely hot commodities and always appreciated.

[quote]Maybe they'll buy a bottle of something good enough it'll get em into a program faster

Maybe they'll buy a bottle of something good enough it'll get em into the grave faster.

There, R84. Fixed that for ya.

I donate food regularly to my local food pantry, I sometimes give socks and hats and gloves to homeless, but I make a point of giving money to homeless people in the street at least twice a week, either $5 or $10.

I always give cash if I have it. More to women.

R2- I have a question.

Are U a HOBOsexual?

The scale of homelessness has outstripped what individuals and charitable organizations can address.

So, on the one hand, you can make the lives of individuals better through individual activity and charitable giving. On the other hand, by doing so, it allows government to ignore the problem. In the past, homelessness was kept in check sufficiently so that government didn't really need to devote significant resources to address it. It's now exploded into such a large scale problem with the accompanying crime and blight that without government intervention at a meaningful level, it's going to get a lot worse.

I never give money to street people. I lived in NYC long enough and saw some of those people making hand over fist in money. Money isn’t gonna get them off the street. Most are junkies. They’re not “homeless”they are street people. Homeless is different.

There was a street person living on my block. After four years of seeing him everyday I started to buy him stuff when I’d come home - Doritos, beer, candy. HE had an apartment from the state his wife and kids lived in. He stayed on the street. He was a junkie in a wheel chair. John. He lost a foot, then another foot, then a leg below the knee, and the other, next the whole leg. Last I saw him he was a torso on a dirty blanket shooting up at the end of the block. This was Chelsea, 24th between 9th and 10th.

People are street people in NYC because tourist give so much money. Most are grifters and junkies and dangerous if you don’t give them what they want. So I don’t engage them.

Funniest thing I saw involved this one known wheel chair grifter who I’d seen walking normal around the block. He was down in the subway by the steps with these tourist exiting. One of the tourist carried his wheel chair to the top of the steps. So this man, who could walk, had to crawl up the steps, pulling himself by his elbows, dragging his legs behind, in front of them. They’d probably just given him cash.

In NYC you’ll see the same street person for 5, 10, 20 years sometimes - no joke, an entire career spent begging on the streets.

Is the black woman who stays cuddled up under a dirty blanket still shivering with her hand out on 5th avenue? She looks like the Darfur orphan and on death’s door. She’s been that way for 20 years. I don’t think she’s a junkie, she would have deteriorated by now. She probably makes 60k a year tax free, if not more.

[quote]I never understand homeless people living in some of the most expensive cities in the world.

That's because they are not 'living' in some of the most expensive cities in the world - they're 'existing'. The two are not the same.

There was a fellow for years in Midtown East at 42nd st and 2nd Avenue. He had a gentle face and looked sort of lost. Over the years I’d see him sometimes with a shoeshine box, but he didn’t actually seem to know how to shine shoes. A few times I saw him really out of it, stumbling around. My neighbor let him shower in her co-op a few times, but she herself had a lot of mental issues and was convinced that mold in a mansion she and her husband owned was silently killing her, so she rented a co-op in our building. Also on that block, there was a gentleman who would stop me to explain that he was a kosher vegetarian chef who worked in the City but lived in a suburb, and he would ask for money to get his car back from a city lot (he said it was improperly impounded). He said he needed to reach his family before sundown, told me about his wife and beautiful children. A year later, he approached me on Central Park South with the same story. I told him I remembered him, and he seemed confused, saw an officer nearby, and ran away. I use my place in midtown only a few weekends per month because I work out West. I notice there is more (legalized) pot smoked everywhere, and it smells. I still see some pretty aggressive panhandlers. One lady recently yelled at me “tell the government to stop taking my babies…and GIVE ME MONEY!”

There’s a great South Park episode where one of the kids gives a homeless man money so all the homeless people move to South Park. It’s a riff on zombie movies. Very funny.

R88 New or used socks?

R90 What about moisturiser? Living on the streets really does a number on the skin, they need protection.

Round them all up and put them somewhere. Don't care where as long as they are fed and warm and given a shower. But we can't be a society that allows people to suffer and beg on the streets.

Soylent Green is people!!!

There was an investigative news series in Philadelphia years ago that discovered a bunch of homeless people living together in a large house, things being paid for through begging and grifting. I also knew a woman from one of my 12-step groups who dated this guy who lived in this house for a while. Not saying all of them, but the moochers are out there too.

Donate to local agencies that provide housing, nothing else works until adequate housing is in place.

Don’t bother offering them a job or housing.

Many of the chronically homeless are that way because they want to be. They don’t want to live with rules or bosses or responsibilities.

Unhoused, darling. Unapartmented, sweetie.

Vote

[quote]Donate to local agencies that provide housing, nothing else works until adequate housing is in place.

The issue isn’t adequate housing. People living in their cars are homeless. Teenagers kicked out of their homes or runaways can be homeless. But most people on the street, you put a roof over their head, and they’ll be back on the street.

The problem is inadequate mental institutions and drug rehabilitation. Drugs drive people to the street and so do mental diseases.

Yes likely most of the homeless are either drug abusers or have mental health issues, but not all. Some just had many tough breaks or had become unemployed and/or had a significant health issue and were unable to pay their rent and lost their homes. It is difficult to determine which among them are genuinely needed help to make it through each day, and which are manipulating people.

R56 - this sounds ... very familiar

R60. Wow. Both Homeless people I encountered were black. And I gave the second guy ten dollars because I had no more cash on me. You are a bad and cynical person.

If I could tell you how heartbreaking it is to rehouse somebody over and over. When the voices are acting up, Clients leave.

R114 That snap judgement by R60, the quick false implication of personal bias without any indication of it, is pretty common. It’s a powerful disincentive to even mention personal giving to others. Also, some of the preachiest and most indignant “allies” actually offer the least in terms of tangible giving or service.

I tell them I’m on weed and alcohol and smoke too, but I keep a job. I’m very humble.