When is a Homeless person NOT Homeless?

There has been some concern aired recently, by the homeless charities, that there are a lot of folks living on the streets, forced to beg for money to let them buy basics like food, and ease their plight of not having a roof over their heads, especially in this cold wintry weather. Let me say on record, I fully sympathise with these genuine people, who find themselves begging, instead of working. They deserve help, but are very few in number.


But I have to ask the obvious question, 'when is a homeless person, not really homeless?' Not all the folks who beg, are homeless. I will go a stage further, not all beggars are poor. And yet again not all people on the streets are there against their will. They are there by choice. It is a lifestyle choice. So we are left with a problem. Who, if anyone, do we give money to on the street? And even more important, are we helping them?


I do not include those tabard wearing, highly visible, charities who ask for support, and are up front about their intentions. They get money for their charity, the seller gets commission. But what about the poor soul, sitting in rags, with a cup and a sign saying something like, 'no home, no food, please donate?' 


I had always been led to believe that people who sold the 'Big Issue' were homeless, and this was their way of getting out of the problem, and onto their own feet. Hmmmm. Not so sure about that now. Fact- Big Issue vendors are NOT necessarily homeless. Oh as far as the DSS is concerned, they are classed as homeless, but some live in very nice homes, courtesy of the same DSS, who class them as homeless, and pay them accordingly. So they are NOT homeless. The clue is in the word 'homeless'. It means, without a home. Simple! We may even know someone who is earning this way, living in a nice free flat, while having loud drunken parties with their mates most weekends, and keeping other families awake where the adults really do have to go to work and earn a living for their family. 


Another fact- most beggars on the streets are using their donations to feed a drug or alcohol habit, and have no interest in using the social welfare program to improve. When their day is over, they will count their takings, feed their habit, get drunk, stay 'invisible' and pitch themselves on the pavement again next day, looking for more unsuspecting donors.


Yet another fact- some of these poor souls on the pavements in rags, at the end of their 'shift' will roll up their stuff, and money, shuffle off to a quiet place, maybe a public toilet, get changed into their other, better clothes, give themselves a wash, and go home! How do I know? Just call it being an eye witness. This is their job. This is how they get their income. It is actually quite a nice little earner, and tax free. 


So, who do we give to? My suggestion, is to bypass these street beggars, all of them, and give directly to the charity of your choice. We have all been affected by some kind of situation which makes us lean towards a charity. Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Disadvantaged Children, Natural Disaster Appeals. And now the real reason for my rant. The people in Haiti did not ask for their situation. They are certainly poor. They are not using, or abusing, the system to feed a habit. They really are starving and homeless. Yes, really HOMELESS! So don't feel bad as you pass by the very poor looking beggar on the streets here. We have a system which will help them if they want help, but the people in Haiti don't have a DSS to bale them out. So give to them, or one of the other charities of your own choosing. A place where you know how the money is used, and not being squandered.