Homelessness is an important issue, and it’s one we should be talking about. And yet it doesn’t get as much discussion as it should, probably because it makes people feel uncomfortable. Usually, people either try to ignore it (and the homeless folks themselves), or they feel that they are on the “right side” of the issue. They donate clothes to thrift stores and toss some coins in the Sally Ann baskets at Christmas– what more can they be expected to do?!
It’s hard to think about, but many of the things that we believe make us “good people” to be “helping the less fortunate” aren’t all that good, and don’t help all that much.
Here are four things that don’t help as much as you might think:
1. Giving Money To Panhandlers
When you hear the phrase “homeless people,” you probably think of folks on the street corner asking for food or change. That population is mostly comprised of men, which means that homeless women and children will get short shrift in donations to panhandlers.
There are homeless people who live in cars, there are homeless people who work during the day, there are homeless people who are trying to get sober in a halfway house, there are homeless people who are working to build their resumes and work experience. You will almost never see any of those people panhandling on the streets, yet they need your time and money investments. But if your idea of “helping the less fortunate” is to toss some quarters into a panhandler’s paper cup, you’re not getting to them.
Women and children in crisis situations experience extra trauma compared to men, which is probably a big reason why they don’t panhandle on the streets. By tossing your vague charity at a male panhandler, you are perpetuating the idea that the streets are for men. I’m not saying you shouldn’t donate to men, just that you shouldn’t donate exclusively to them– donations to a shelter has a greater likelihood of reaching gender parity than a donation to a panhandler.
2. Doing It To Make Themselves Feel Better
It makes you feel uncomfortable to see those disheveled folks on street corners and walking up to stopped cars with a cardboard sign, doesn’t it? And, in all fairness, it should. We as humans have empathy for others in unfortunate circumstances. It should make you uncomfortable to see a person who has so much less than you have.
But the question must be asked: how much do they actually have? There are many narratives from former homeless people about what it’s like to live as a panhandler. One former homeless person explains:
“Beggars have a uniform like any other kind of worker. They have to look as bedraggled and dirty and pathetic as possible. If you gave a beggar a chance to shower and wash their clothes, you would be damaging their earning potential. They make their money by manipulating the feelings of people who don’t know much about poverty. That means they have to play to stereotypes, some of which are like a hundred years out of date.”
Rather than keeping panhandlers “employed” on the streets, donating time or money to an agency doesn’t require homeless people to look pathetic and bedraggled in order to be helped.
3. Doing It Once A Year
You want to feel that sense of community during the holidays– that makes sense. But if giving to homeless people only happens over the holidays, you need to reexamine your motives (see #2). Homeless people need support throughout the year. And if you need the sound of jingle bells to get you in the mood for giving, you’re not really helping anyone except yourself.
4. Giving While Being Condescending AF
If you give someone money without making eye contact, you are being part of the problem. And you don’t have to give someone money to not be condescending. Make eye contact. Smile. Say hi. Treat homeless people as people. If you feel the need to do something for a panhandler or for folks in a shelter, be a human being with them. Offer to help with resume-building skills or do an art therapy workshop. Treat them like, y’know, people.
If homeless people are treated as sub-human, they will come to believe that they don’t belong in society, and that they don’t have anything to contribute. This creates far more long-term problems than solutions.
There is good news, for those who are willing to hearing it. The problem of homelessness has been solved, and more and more counties are adopting this program. If you want to enact meaningful change, there’s a place to start. Another important element in limiting homelessness is to ensure that all workers receive a livable wage. Universal access to healthcare will help, especially with mental illness and addiction issues that are common in the homeless population.
There are many causes for homelessness, and we are not helping any of them by offering pat solutions or by turning a blind eye.
