The Truth About Panhandling Posted on June 18, 2008 Post a comment

It’s human nature to want to help someone in need. So when we pass a panhandler on the street or on the side of the road, we want to help. After all, giving a panhandler our spare change or even a buck or two probably won’t break us, but is it really the right way to help the homeless?

According to research done in the city of Denver, 90 percent of the money given to panhandlers is used to further enable that panhandler’s lifestyle of drug or alcohol addiction. In fact, the vast majority of panhandlers are not homeless, and the vast majority of homeless do not panhandle. So, if you are giving money to a panhandler thinking you are helping the homeless, it’s likely you are feeding an addiction and not a need.

A 2005 study estimated that Denver citizens give an average of $4.5 million to panhandlers each year! Imagine the real progress that could be made if these funds were spent on programs that actually helped the homeless.

Yet, even though I know this and I am an activist in the Campaign to End Homelessness, it still bothers me to pass a panhandler and not give. Is it guilt? Is it sympathy? A little of both? The donation meters located throughout the downtown area (and rolling out in cities around the world) help to provide an immediate outlet for giving. But what do we do when we’re driving in our cars or aren’t near a meter?

In the coming months, Denver will be rolling out a program that gives people who donate to the Campaign to End Homelessness a sticker to place on a car window. This sticker identifies you as a donor to the cause. While it won’t eliminate the pangs of sympathy or guilt you might feel when you pass a panhandler, it will help remind you that you are giving a better way. It will also help re-route that $4.5 million going to panhandlers into real and productive solutions to aid the homeless.

We’re working with the city on this sticker program. We’ll update you with more information as the time draws near. Until then, please help spread the truth about panhandling. It’s probably the single most powerful thing you can do.

Instead of giving to a panhandler, you can support Denver’s initiative, The Campaign to End Homelessness at Denver’s Road Home Web site www.denversroadhome.org