I don’t like the term panhandling. They’re beggars, just the same as the beggars we see in poverty stricken nations abroad. Our local beggars shouldn’t get a different term.
The solutions to begging are close at hand. In Sweden begging is predicted to essentially vanish as they moved to a cashless economy. That doesn’t eliminate the need or the means to help those who were begging, as those in need seek help from charities and government services that are funded by the same folks who previously gave to beggars.
An immediate small fix is enforcement of the Safe Streets Act and HTA, preventing beggars from entering the road space to beg at car windows.
And just to clarify, I’m not some heartless Scrurge-like character who wants to open work houses, et al. But the Canadian and Ontario homeless industrial complex needs to be shaken up, since we’re paying millions in taxes and donations to fix an issue, with little result. Around my home in downtown east there must the hundreds if not thousands of people who make their living on the perpetuation of homelessness, mental illness and addiction, but have no accountability or measurable goals connected to reducing homelessness (and begging) in order to get their continued funding.
The US has similar issues...
The Homeless Industrial Complex Problem
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/carey-fuller/the-homeless-industrial-c_b_9092426.html
Is There a Homeless Industrial Complex That Perpetuates Homelessness?
http://www.povertyinsights.org/2013/08/05/is-there-a-homeless-industrial-complex-that-perpetuates-homelessness/[/QUOTE
This is nothing if not predictable. As a first step, how about selecting Canadian information sources?