Worldwide there are many beggars living on the street even in the most developed countries. Even though it may seem helpful in the short run, I tend to disagree with the idea of providing cash as the primary solution.
First of all, there is a high chance this money won’t be spent in accordance with needs. Because of extreme poverty, most of these people sometimes want to escape from reality, so they might buy some drugs or alcohol, which worsens the situation. For instance, in my district you could meet many beggars with a bottle of alcohol. That’s why given cash is not spent wisely and better option is to give them food, clothing and first aid things.
Secondly, some of these homeless people are mentally ill or have disabilities and giving cash doesn’t ensure what they truly need. Homeless people with these conditions can’t survive too long without medical care or proper shelter, which is very expensive, so searching for programs that take care of these people is important. For example, last year a homeless woman with disabilities died because of freezing. Thus, looking for initiatives that provide medical services and shelter for such people is a better option than just giving them money.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that providing cash is not a good idea, because people don’t use it to cover essential needs and have more serious problems which need better solutions.