I disagree with the "give them cash" part - donating to shelters or charities is often better. Not because "they will spend it on drugs", which you really can't tell, but because it's a better way to help the overall population rather than a single individual. And giving cash often leads to some perverse incentives.
You can do that right now. And if you haven’t done it by the next time you walk past a homeless person, just give them cash instead of kidding yourself that you’ll give in a more effective way later.
Homeless people respond to incentives like everyone else. If you keep enabling them to beg at street corners it makes it less likely that they will every do anything else to earn money and become productive members.
Yes, you can choose to simply not give either to charities or directly to homeless people, but be honest about it and don’t talk about charities being a more efficient way to give.
