would you discourage homeless people in front of your office building?

KathrynMD · June 2011

My CW was just going around asking if anyone could break a $10 b/c she wanted to give $2 to a homeless guy in front of our building. FTR, we are in downtown DC and a busy Metro exit is right by our front door. I told her she shouldn't encourage the homeless guy to hang out by our building by giving him money. Then, several people piped up to tell me, I was mean and of course there was nothing wrong w/ homeless guys hanging out right by our building.

I'm not suggesting we forcibly move the homeless to other areas, but I don't really want to encourage them to stay here either. I was surprised that so many people thought my take was unusual. I rarely give money to homeless people - I'm sympathetic that many have mental health or substance abuse problems, but giving them a dollar here or there doesn't really adress teh underlying problem either. I see all the food programs they have in the and if anybody's going hungry in this country, its not homeless drug addicts in urban areas - its families and children in cities and rural areas.

wlfpkbride · June 2011

I agree with you. I don't give homeless people money. I have given them food or offered to buy them food. I refuse to support someone's habit. I've also personally seen a "homeless" guy on the street corner walk to a BMW, get in & drive away. I work hard 40 hours a week & I drive a Taurus. This is why I won't give them money. I am sympathetic to people who are truly in need, but you never know the difference.

mrs. remy · June 2011

I agree with you Kathryn. I rarely give a homeless person money, not because I am cold or uncaring; I just don't see how it is going to solve the bigger problem.

there have been a few occasions where I have given a few bucks, mainly because they looked cold or sad, and weren't all in my face being aggressive about it.

camdenfaithful · June 2011

I honestly don't think throwing some spare change their way one time is necessarily going to encourage them to camp out in front of your office building everyday. The homeless people are probably more inclined to reach out to the people coming off the metro than the people in the office building.

I work in downtown Baltimore and while I don't encounter many people around my office, I pass probably about half a dozen or so on my way home. Occasionally I'll give them some money if it's really hot or really cold, but that's the extent of it.

lsgarver · June 2011

I agree with you--there are a million other ways to help the homeless, often in ways that ensure your money is going toward infrastructure, schooling, job search and food. When you hand some dude $2, you have no idea where it's going. When LOTS of people hand him $2, you can bet he'll be back.

would you discourage homeless people in front of your office building?

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