Sidewalk nuisances’

When I first moved to Portland about five years ago, I was struck by two significant factors that impressed upon me the image of Portland. One was that there were more Plaid Pantries in this city than in anywhere else I have ever seen or lived. Two, the main industries contributing to Portland’s economy are strip clubs, Thai food and panhandling. Portland may be a city that works, but when it doesn’t, it panhandles. But is giving out your spare change truly helping?

While talking on the subject last May, mayor Tom Potter referred to panhandlers as “sidewalk nuisances.” Panhandling is certainly not a problem in Portland; rather, it is a symptom of a much bigger problem: homelessness. To the Portland native it is no secret-Portland has an immense homeless population. The numbers vary, but anywhere from 1,400 to over 2,000 people spend their nights on the streets of Portland.

We encounter a large number of panhandlers and “signers” across the city. Signers are folks you find on street corners and freeway exits holding signs asking for change. Some say yes and some say no, and in the end it can be a harmless transaction, though some panhandlers are aggressive and can cross the line. Whether it’s someone asking you to go back to your car and look for spare change in your cupholder, or, as reported last December in the Portland Mercury, being hit up for change while you’re naked in the women’s locker room at your gym, it seems at times that panhandlers go too far.

Are they sidewalk nuisances, or folks in need of a hand? Should you hand out some spare change or not? There is actually no answer to cover every single person on the street, though it can be said that not every person is in need of your change. After speaking with social workers and panhandlers from the Portland area, one thing is clear: Panhandling can be as much a hindrance as a help. When it comes to food, panhandlers don’t need help.

On 22-year old, who goes by the name Havoc, has been living on the streets since she was 14. “If you starve in Portland, you are pretty much just lazy. There’s anywhere you can eat,” she said. “It’s extremely easy to be homeless in Portland, and I think that’s why there’s so many.”

Havoc’s experience doesn’t speak for everyone, and she expressed a desire to leave the streets. Her friend ‘No One’ agreed. When asked what would help him the most, he said, “a place to stay for a while and shower would help.”

One social worker I spoke with, who can’t be identified because of restrictions at his work, commented that, “your run-of-the-mill homeless person more often than not is addicted to something. Something is keeping them homeless…. Sure, it is not always easy to go from being homeless to not homeless, but there are several programs that can help them become rehabilitated.” When asked about panhandling, he said, “it is probably better to give them resources.”

And resources are basically what the homeless in Portland need most. Though the number of homeless people in Portland has declined in recent years, much more can be done. Portland needs to up the effort. Instead of trying to battle symptoms of homelessness, such as panhandling, we need to invest in solid programs that address both the root causes of homelessness and what keeps people homeless. Addiction and mental illness are key factors in this issue.

In the end, the one thing we shouldn’t do is treat a homeless person disrespectfully. No matter where they are on life’s road, they are still people, and ignoring them or treating them with disregard is not only wrong–it also serves to make this problem worse. If certain factors such as addiction and mental illness help to keep people homeless, it can be argued that panhandling can also contribute. It is hard to tell whether someone asking for money truly needs some help, but there are still things you can do to be helpful. For example, there are places like Sisters of the Road Café, where you can buy vouchers for a free meal. You can hand these out instead of change. Or, if you are on your way into a store and are asked for change, you can purchase food for them instead.

Change is not the only thing you have to offer.