The Increasing Homelessness/Beggars

Now I have a job in NYC as a bike messenger so I get to see alot at the right places and whatnot you could say, but this one little aspect is pretty troubling to me each time i ride down the city streets.

Lets say hypothetically you can see a homeless person or just simply a beggar out on the sidewalk 1 every 20 blocks. Personally, i never counted them up, but i have noticed a trend on most of my usual routes where I'm seeing more and more beggars on the street. it could be 1 every 15 blocks, 1 every 2 blocks, even across the street from each other, these numbers are increasing.

worst off, most of them are still clean shaven and young, as if they just started begging. around 14th street and broadway, i notice one guy there who wasnt there last week with the sign: "Help me get by for the day" and he's been there for 3 days straight so far. I decided to lend a hand by tossing a $10 in his cup, this is really getting out of hand however.

What's the situation in other cities? are these numbers on the rise where you live?

I'm in MT and I can definitely say that in the city nearest to me the homeless and panhandling has increased this year more than any other. A couple of years ago it was so bad that new laws had to be put into place because some of them were getting physically violent with people who would not give out money. They would stand in front of walmart and purposefully block traffic until someone gave them money. It's pretty bad this year so who knows what other ordinances the city will come up with.

The biggest problem is people pretending to be homeless veterans returning from war.

Personally, we need more kitchens, shelters, and services available to help out. For those who do not want to work, and would rather stand outside all day flying a sign, I don't think they should get anything. God helps those who help themselves.

reply to post by Kojack
It's hard to tell where I live... I have personally witnessed someone panhandleing on a off ramp then going over to a very new looking auto and taking off. I have seen one person talking on a cell phone in one hand and holding a sign in a the other.
My heart goes out to people who have to really beg for food and shelter but I am becoming more skeptical of everyone holding a sign.
However I know that I am one bad turn of events from being in that position of needing to ask for help from strangers on the street corner.
I usually give them some fruit or bottled water but rarely do I give them money. I think that donating money to orginazations set up to help the homeless is a better way to donate and they wont give the money away for booze or drugs.

reply to post by Kojack
I think the time to get really worried is when these unfortunate people start to "disappear".. I mean who is going to miss a few thousand homeless people, (across the states), Also think of all those disposable FEMA coffins that where mentioned on ATS a while back a good way to start the ball rolling and get the mechanisms working nice and smoothly, IMO..

I live in Peoria, Illinois, I see lots of homeless, they're so thick around lunch/dinner time at the salvation army. Probably in the hundreds. But these are just the people who decide they don't want government aid so they live on the street.

As for the government housing projects (20-25$ a month). They're packed with gang bangers/drug dealers, police are always rolling around the places. They survive with no job and pay the rent by either selling food stamps, or there is also a program where the government will give you $ on card along with your food stamps. On average there are at least 4-5 children living in each one of these rooms in the housing units. They use the kids to increase there profits from government aid.

Not to mention the local school that was recently shut down due to gang violence and other crimes mostly drugs/assaulting the teachers. Now I'm sure most of these children won't even be going to school, even if they were to get in to a school.. It would all be paid for with financial aid along with more gov aid for the school lunches.

So as long as the cops have people to bust, and the people are still filing for government aid this way of life has become accepted among the citizens. Really not much more to say.. just sad

Yes, increased for sure.

I work in a small city in PA and there is a church near-by that offers food/meals etc around closing time. I have been walking down the same alley to a parking garage for years-hardly a soul.

Now a days.... the alley is full-waiting for the food to arrive (they bring the stuff in).

I will say, only one incident that required me to intervien (Im in Law Enforcement). Other than that, just hungry people.

What is heart breaking... about two months ago a young girl was standing with her mother-she was crying and saying how hungry she was.... My wife started to cry when we got to the car. I can't blame her.

Great thread. Tough times indeed. Except for the politicians in Wash D.C. A..H...es!!!

reply to post by Kojack


I am currently working on a documentary about homeless women. A large percentage of them are vets with ptsd back from Iraq or Afghanistan. The VA is full of vets returning, some of them homeless and dealing with problems both physical and mental.

With this economy a lot of aid agencies are unable to take care of the increasing number of homeless/jobless.

I see homeless everywhere, even in the affluent village where I live. It's going to get worse....much worse.

Help these people. Of course there are going to be fakers but I give a few bucks to those beggars I encounter.
When we lose our compassion to help those less fortunate than ourselves we become less human.

reply to post by whaaa


That sounds very interesting. Would you be able to show that piece here on ATS?

Or do you have a website etc.

I think you are doing exactly what is needed. I never see anything on the news around here.

Good luck with that!!!

Originally posted by Kojack
What's the situation in other cities? are these numbers on the rise where you live?

In Pgh there are people who live under the bridges for real.. They pack their things up in the day time and move because they are not permitted to live in these areas so they pack and move till SET and then they come out when night falls its rediculous really and they ar ehard to see so its easy for many to overlook them. And the homless who beg they do what they can during rush hours to collect when the workers leave the city. I am non judgmental about their past fails wheither from drug abuse or just lost their jobs and couldnt make it anymore.. ALL I see is more low density effects upon these souls.

I live in the UK and in my city i have seen a rise in Beggers - I dont know if they are homeless.
However, its also been noted that "beggers" seem to make alot of money, some people do it professionally - This is no joke.

Its actually quite sad. You cant claim Benefits without an address in the UK so if you dont have an address you cant claim dole, Its a catch 22 situation, they are doing nothing to change it however.

Originally posted by redzareptileI think that donating money to orginazations set up to help the homeless is a better way to donate and they wont give the money away for booze or drugs.

Well, this is the way it should be, without government interference, but the problem is that people expect "The government will take care of it somehow." so they really don't get as much help as they should. People simply can't afford to pay into both promise systems, so the needy one's only get a little bit of help from the private sector systems, and get shafted on the government systems due to all of the heavy regulations.

And this is not an issue of money or laziness. The issue is we neglect to treat these people as if they're disabled, which they are. These people are in the situations they are in mostly due to serious mental illnesses, and they can be treated, but not on their own. Instead, we're too busy spending money for the sole purpose of just keeping them alive, not actually focusing on the root of the problem, yet expect things to improve.