We Give More than $40 Million to Panhandlers Each Year

So Miamians hand out more than $40 million a year to homeless people, according to a Zogby International poll (via NBCMiami), and that's just a rough estimate. We're guessing that if you add handouts from tourists, the homeless are raking in a bunch more. According to Camillus House, there are about...

By Kyle Munzenrieder

June 9, 2009

Audio By Carbonatix

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So Miamians hand out more than $40 million a year to homeless people, according to a Zogby International poll (via NBCMiami), and that's just a rough estimate. We're guessing that if you add handouts from tourists, the homeless are raking in a bunch more.

According to Camillus House, there are about 4,700 to 8,250 homeless people in Miami-Dade each month. Any way you cut it, there's no way any one homeless person is getting more than a few thousand from panhandling. Which we're sure helps those truly in need, but $40 million in donations to organizations such as Camillus House could go a longer way than random handouts that amount to "Fine, here is a quarter -- now leave me alone."

No word on how much of that $40 million goes to crack and MD 20/20.

[NBCMiami: Miamians Empty Pockets for Homeless]

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