Panhandling in Dallas appears to continue unabated, despite a recent City initiative to discourage the practice.
In the city of Dallas, panhandling is against the law and is a Class C misdemeanor.
Jennifer Brown, the public information manager for the Office of Homeless Solutions (OHS), told The Dallas Express, “The issue of panhandling, specifically illegal solicitation in the roadway, is being handled by the Panhandling Deflection Program, which is an inter-departmental effort.”
Dallas implemented the pilot program last year in an attempt to combat panhandling by using a database to connect panhandlers to social services. The database permits follow-up assistance and monitoring of repeat offenders.
Since the Panhandling Deflection Program’s launch last November, the City has reported limited results. Out of 80 field reports submitted after city officials responded to panhandling calls, only five people have successfully been assisted.
Three individuals were placed in homes, one accepted a ride to a mental healthcare facility, and another went to a homeless and vagrant shelter.
Panhandlers are often vagrants, people who choose to live on the streets and refuse help. These individuals prefer being homeless and decline services that are a path to stability.
One man, Alvin Jackson Renfro, told The Dallas Morning News he and his father panhandle to get enough money to allegedly spend a few nights per week in a motel.
Renfro claimed that the City has not approached him recently. He said he knows what services are available but is unsure whether he would accept assistance, adding that he does not like to stay in shelters.
As reported by The Dallas Express, the 2022 Point-in-Time Homeless Count from the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (MDHA) showed that nearly 4,000 individuals experience homelessness on any given night.
Approximately 3,996 people were discovered to be homeless or vagrants in Dallas County in 2022, according to a fact sheet from MDHA. Of that total, 1,324 are believed to be vagrants or “unsheltered,” which means they do not seek lodging in shelters and instead live on the streets.
Christine Crossley, the director of OHS, said that although some people are not interested in receiving help, there has been a reduction in panhandling since the start of the program.
“We’ve seen enough success to justify that we can move forward and should move forward,” she added.
Currently, 20% of panhandlers in Dallas are homeless, according to the City, per The Dallas Morning News. In 2018, the City estimated that “[b]etween 70-80% of the individuals engaged by street outreach are considered homeless.” However, CEO Wayne Walker of OurCalling, a nonprofit for homeless and vagrant people, estimates that 70-80% of panhandlers are still homeless today.
Billy Ray, a man who stations his wheelchair on street corners asking for money, knows the City is offering help but is unwilling to accept assistance.
“They say you can go to the shelter, and they’re giving out apartments and all kinds of stuff,” he said. “They’re just trying to get us out of here.”
