Individuals panhandle for a variety of reasons, but most of those who have engaged with the UCPID street outreach staff and the City of Dallas End Panhandling Now have expressed they are fulfilling basic needs, such as food or shelter.
Between 70-80% of the individuals engaged by UCPID street outreach are considered homeless, however many do not consider themselves to be homeless.
An example of this might be an individual who panhandles daily to pay for a motel room and food for the evening. Others might be living in encampments near the areas where they solicit. Among the most common referrals made by staff is to local shelters.
Additionally, many clients have shared that their mental health prevents them from getting and keeping traditional employment, or prevents them from seeking social services from shelters.
Panhandlers report earning anywhere from $20-$300 daily. The average age of individuals engaged by University Crossing street outreach is 46 years old.
In an article from The Dallas Morning News in February 2021, the former Office of Homeless Solutions Interim Director, Kevin Odom, advised against giving to panhandlers directly.
Odom stated, “multiple persons at the intersection are permanent residents of motels in the area, and choose that area to remain due to the profitability that panhandling provides. I would offer the advice that the most effective way for panhandling to cease in an area is for giving directly to persons to cease."
Odom continued, “I would also recommend that staff and the public not collect and provide on-site donations to the persons camped in this location as donations, though well-intended, can continue to discourage persons from accepting placement in a shelter or other housing options."
He encouraged members of the community to instead donate directly to service providers who can provide long-term assistance with their homeless recovery.
The solution to ending panhandling is simple.
If you want to end panhandling, stop directly giving money to panhandlers.
Giving to panhandlers:
Puts them physically at risk as they maneuver through traffic
Discourages people from accessing homeless recovery resources to change their long term situation
Funds may be used to fund addiction
May put the giver in danger if the panhandler becomes aggressive
Alternatives to giving money directly:
Provide food, water, hygiene kits, and other basic essentials
Provide employment opportunities and job skills training while emphasizing the importance of doing work
Provide shelter
Give to organizations that provide homeless recovery resources
Ways to Give: