How do you honestly react to homeless people on the street?

[MrsBrentford]

I watched a documentary, can’t remember which, about homeless people and how they feel totally invisible, and inhuman and that made me feel shit.

Thought about my own behaviour and how I occasionally give money or food but more often than not I hurry past and avoid eye contact.

So this year I have decided to make eye contact, smile and say hello to every homeless person I see in town (and there seem to be an increasing amount in my town ).

Is anyone else guilty of this?

A family member of mine was street homeless for a while last year after losing every single accomodation hes ever had, he gets kicked out etc, cant keep to the rules. Even got kicked out of emmaus and night shelter. Hes autistic and trauma survivor. There is help out there but there are strict rules and its actually very easy to get kicked out and very hard to find and keep a tenancy for many people. Not like when I was younger, when there were always squats, houseshares or bedsits took housing benefit etc. Could get council flats. Its not like that now. We have always had troubled people in society, its just now they are very visible and on the streets

I feel bad for them, it’s so easy to become homeless and it can happen to anyone.
I will give change if I have it but right now I am technically homeless in temp accommodation and money is tighter than its ever been. I do think myself lucky I have a roof though and had it not been for my kids it could be different. The housing office I go to to speak to my housing officer is also a homeless hostel and I’ve witnessed some not nice scenes whilst there so I go very little. I’ve noticed locally that the amount of homeless people on the streets in my small city has really increased its horrible too, it’s really stormy here and I can’t imagine being outside in that day and night. I do regularly remind my children that, despite the house we are in is not really suitable for us, that we are very fortunate and we will have a permanent home one day (hopefully soon)
It’s been 2 years already

What i said about my family member amd how easy it is to become homeless, doesnt mean i give money to homeless willy nilly as i said previously, some of them are utter bastards, and some are nice.

I had a homeless man come up to me begging for food, saying please I'm so hungry please I need food. I Had just bought some lunch and snacks and had them in my bag so I said have this and gave him it with a drink. I knew he needed it more than me. He was so angry, he threw it all at me, in my face and was swearing and shouting at me, in front of loads of people in a city centre(loads of people see this happen) saying he didn't want fucking food. I was gobsmacked, intimidated and embarrassed, I'd just tried to help. He obviously wanted money for drugs or booze, not actual food, however he had begged me for FOOD then been disgusted when I'd given some! Now I'm really wary of who I give to, I feel awful about that, but it was a really horrible experience.

My view on this fwiw, is that there is absolutely no way of validating whether a person is genuinely in need or not, so I go on face value, and as previously said, if they are so rock bottom in their life they feel the only way to raise a few quid, is to be out in the cold on a piece of cardboard, then I'd say they aren't going to be rolling in readies or in a happy place are they?!

(please can people stop calling human beings scammers etc, it's vile and unnecessary - it's like on here, if you don't like a post, ffs scroll on by. Likewise, stroll on by if you're that sure they're a "scammer".

There was a radio programme about homeless people and donating etc on Radio 4 sometime over Christmas/New Year.

The upshot was, speaking to people who work with the homeless, was definitely don't give money, and probably don't give food - the reason for not giving food was that if you provide food to a homeless person, there will be no need for them to visit a shelter/charity. If they visit a shelter to get a meal, then there is also all kinds of other help they can access while they're there, from drug and alcohol counselling to having a shower and being able to wash their clothes.

@purpleboy Some people just dont think before they post.

I smile and say hello if we make eye contact. I buy Big Issue half a dozen times a year and also ask if I can get them coffees and pizzas if I see anyone shivering or looking a bit gloomy, though tbh I rarely stop for a long chat. Just find out what they want, get it and say goodbye. DS2 is brilliant. He always buys Big Issue and stops for a chat - has done since his early teens.

It's hard to make natural eye contact when they sit on the pavement as they are not in your natural line of vision, so I sometimes feel uncomfortable in case they think I'm staring.

Sometimes I give them a bit of money or something from my shopping bag if I have something to give. I at least smile and speak to them if I don't have anything.

Recently I've been wondering if it would seem weird or rude to buy some little toiletries packs and hand them out to homeless people - toothbrush and paste, wipes and hairbrush, hand gel and lip salve. That's the stuff I'd want. They always seem to have loads of food stacked up if they have a bed on the streets.

I'm ashamed of our country that the numbers are so normalised. I work sometimes in a city where the homeless numbers seem massive. There are shanty towns in the main streets. And it's a wealthy place.

Honestly? I just walk past. I don't have the expertise to help homeless people with their often complex needs. I do support a (small and specific) mental health charity which helps a lot of people who are homeless due to the particular mental health issue in question amongst other things.

I also chat to our local homeless man, who is to be found in the Central library from opening to closing six days a week, occasionally when I'm in for books. I live in a small town and other than him I don't see people living on the streets here, we have plenty of spare housing units so social services can accommodate people easily.

He's an odd case who just plain chooses to be homeless for reasons beyond anyone's ken. His parents live in town and are comfortably off. They're on good terms with him, they've offered to buy him a flat. Social services have offered him housing dozens of times. He always refuses. He is articulate, not obviously mentally ill or addicted, he just chooses to live on the streets and has done for years. I'm really not sure what can be done about people like him.

Liverpool has a majority of career beggars. They are not homeless, are on benefits and good daily money from people who throw 50p/£1 at them every few minutes. The genuine homeless are actually struggling more here because the career beggars move in to the areas and take that kindly donated money, food and drink from them.

The homeless outreach groups here tend to know who is who and police, and the police actively move on the beggars.

One cheeky twat actually strips off his begging clothes in the street, and then gets in to a bmw his Mrs is driving. Then fucks off, presumably to his nice little semi with his £120 a day tax free.

@Cryingoverspilttea - people need to be educated that they should only give money to charities that help the homeless or buy Big Issue. Anything else could be helping no one in need.

A lot of local beggars round here are women who are enslaved to gangs. I hate ignoring them, but I know they won't see a penny of it and I'm not paying for some thug's McPalace in Romania, so the less income the gangers get from their slaves, the less inclination they have to enslave people. Still heartbreaking though.

I walk past lots near my work. All often drinking or intoxicated.

I concluded a few years ago that any help i could give would be better administered via shelter & the like, so i dont give food or money. I particularly don't like concept of the big issue, so don't buy that either.. however I do make eye contact etc

I give them nothing
Most probably have more than me I bet.

We visited the Christmas Market in the city. Deciding to cut through a side street, we saw 2 huddled together in a doorway. Their faces were lit from their phones. As we approached they quickly shoved their phones under whatever it was they were sitting on...only they didn't shove it far enough. The square window housing the camera told me all I needed to know...iPhone 11 pro !! Instantly recognisable
They both bent their heads and looked down as we passed hoping for "change" …..got fuck all from me!!

It just confirmed my suspicions. the vast majority are nothing but beggars.

Fuck them!!

When you live in a four bedroom house, have a false Big Issue ID, and spend several years claiming that you are homeless when you are not, that is scamming people. Fortunately, the individual in question has been moved on (finally). Although it may well be that he is now conning people in a different town.

Not sure what's wrong with calling people scammers and con-artists if that's what they are.

I also chat to our local homeless man, who is to be found in the Central library from opening to closing six days a week

Which reminds me, if you live in Hampshire or another area consulting on the fixture of libraries, please respond. And make this point - libraries are a safe haven for everyone, including those at rock bottom.

future not fixture!

My most recent encounter was outside a turtle bay drinking cocktails on a (rare) night away from dd. Me and my friend only had cards as we don’t carry cash typically. So I apologised, then offered him a menthol cigarette. He gave me a huge smile and said thanks. (I know it’s unhealthy and awful) but all I could offer.

Previously I’ve given a lady 20 pounds and said all the drugs she could by. (My dark humour) meant as a joke but properly taken literally (we have no control on what they buy) as a rule I don’t usually give money.

I’m guilty of not always saying hello, like if I’m rushing. I pretend to be on the phone but I do always smile.

I don't give to homeless people as I know there is ample places to go in the city for food. I was homeless at one point and was very well fed at the nuns, although I could understand if they didn't want to go for personal reasons. Saying that I will smile and make eye contact if it is given. Last month there was a homeless man almost rolling about the street away from his spot asking for help. I took his arm and helped him back to his spot and walked off. He didn't appear in danger or at risk to his health so there was nothing more that I could do other than to give a hand.

There is help and services that homeless people can access, they might not be enough to get them off the street but it is far more valuable than the loose change in your pocket.

Are they still doing the 'I need £16 for the shelter for the night' bollocks? The shelters are free.

What does cost £16, however, is a small bag of smack and some Tennants' Extra.

Get more than one person fall for it in a day, as they start from about 8.30am to catch commuters going into local shops or getting some cash out to head for the station, gets a hell of a lot more than that and certainly more than my hourly rate at work.

@purpleboy my DBro was in a very similar situation, slept rough on the streets for about 18 months, we actually lost track of him until he got in touch with our Uncle and Aunt in US. He has severe undiagnosed MH and desperately needed to be treated, but until he was able to face that fact, nothing we could do.

He did sort himself out, met a lovely lady, got his life back on track, including proper meds. It took years of his life away from him, but he got there in the end. He even went back to Uni and did his Masters! So it does show that things can turn around, even though the anguish to him and his family was unbearable at the time.

sorry he had serious undiagnosed MH at that time

You can't claim benefits without an address.

You can. You can use the council’s address, the job centre’s address, or another care of address. You don’t need photo ID either.

The local homeless charities ask people not to give to beggars. It reduces the chances of them engaging with services, and encourages exploitation by criminal gangs.