Is there a way to move people along doing this? What is the law? Or do we need a law (examples from other jurisdictions)?

"There has been a serious uptick in panhandling all over the city. Particularly in Ward 3, it seems that many of the seemingly panhandlers are voucher recipients. If voucher recipients are getting free housing, shouldn't they be asked to get a job at some point to contribute a bit to the rent and support themselves without begging?"

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"What are you doing? Making a comprehensive survey? Carding them?"

Just talk to the local businesses. They know the panhandlers who are there every day, know their backgrounds, know the aggressive ones who hassle them and their customers, know which ones have a legitimate tough luck story and which ones are the grifters. They describe some "career" panhandlers who even commute to their daily "workplaces" by taxi or Lyft.

Anonymous wrote:I haven’t shopped on the Cleveland Park commercial strip for years. I got tired of running the gauntlet of panhandlers. On some days there were like five or eight of them. I can’t believe the businesses stand for this.

Cathedral Commons on the west end of Cleveland Park may have a worse panhandler situation now.

I haven’t shopped on the Cleveland Park commercial strip for years. I got tired of running the gauntlet of panhandlers. On some days there were like five or eight of them. I can’t believe the businesses stand for this.

Anonymous wrote:I always say no firmly and sometimes suggest food pantries, etc. They don't seem to want that information.

Like any other unsolicited advice.

Anonymous wrote:There has been a serious uptick in panhandling all over the city. Particularly in Ward 3, it seems that many of the seemingly panhandlers are voucher recipients. If voucher recipients are getting free housing, shouldn't they be asked to get a job at some point to contribute a bit to the rent and support themselves without begging?

What are you doing? Making a comprehensive survey? Carding them?

I always say no firmly and sometimes suggest food pantries, etc. They don't seem to want that information.

I hate panhandling, especially on the streets.

They wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t worth their while. If you want to change someone’s behavior, it seems to me it would be a lot easier to control the givers than the takers. Start a campaign or pass some sort of ordinance about cash gifts on the street. I assume that’s not constitutional but you’re smart and will figure out something that works.

I have actually asked them.

how would you know if they have vouchers? most poor people in DC don't; there are thousands on the wait list. Also, voucherholders are highly incentivized to get a job: under DC's participation in HUD's Moving to Work program, they only have to recertify their income every two years. If their income goes down they can recertify and reduce their rent, but if it goes up they don't have to report and their rent doesn't change until the next recertification. That plus the EITC and the high minimum wage are good work incentives...but there are certainly people who are panhandling instead, for lots of reasons. They probably aren't standing out in the cold for fun...if nobody gave them money, they would stop.

In many cases, they are panhandling right next to help wanted signs.

Anonymous wrote:There has been a serious uptick in panhandling all over the city. Particularly in Ward 3, it seems that many of the seemingly panhandlers are voucher recipients. If voucher recipients are getting free housing, shouldn't they be asked to get a job at some point to contribute a bit to the rent and support themselves without begging?

YES. They should. There should be conditions. That was the whole reasoning behind welfare to work.
I laughed out loud when a dude was begging next to CAVA the other day. Young, healthy, coherent dude standing next to a fast express restaurant asking for my money as I walked home from my job. Go fill out a job application! Hilarious to put more energy into doing anything but work, than it would take to work.

Grifters one and all.

They also get EBT and the apartments have utilities included. They are expected to make a small contribution, I guess many are earning in alternative economies. Lots more visible drug dealing going on in Ward 3 too.

There has been a serious uptick in panhandling all over the city. Particularly in Ward 3, it seems that many of the seemingly panhandlers are voucher recipients. If voucher recipients are getting free housing, shouldn't they be asked to get a job at some point to contribute a bit to the rent and support themselves without begging?