I spent today in Montreal. On almost every block I was asked for money by a beggar. When stopped at traffic lights in the Starlink crew car (an unprepossessing white compact), I was asked for money by a beggar standing in between lanes. It was a remarkable density of beggars for a city that freezes over in the winter and all of the guys with hats in hand looked pretty healthy.
How can we explain the greater number of beggars in Montreal compared to Boston? Here are some theories:
- the Canadian health care system is superior to that of the U.S. and it keeps jobless people alive and vigorous so that they can beg on the streets of even the coldest city; the U.S. counterparts of these panhandlers are dead due to our callous and ineffective health are system
- the average Montrealer is more generous than the average Bostonian, which makes begging a more attractive career choice (and perhaps a good enough one that they can afford to take the winters off)
- the higher minimum wage in Quebec ($9.50) compared to Massachusetts ($8.00) means that those with poor skills are unable to find work other than begging
Other ideas?
Have you ever been to Austin? If so, how would you compare the beggar density to Montreal and Boston?
Along the lines of your point #2 – with the prevalence of $1 and even $2 coins, giving someone the spare change jingling in your pocket might be a couple bucks. Not sure if that works on the natives, but it is effective on American tourists unaccustomed to carrying around high denomination coins. I speak from experience; years ago I gave my spare change to a panhandler in Toronto and moments later down the street realized I’d probably given him more than $7. 🙂
Along the point of #1, with the government on the hook for their health care, maybe there are more inventives to get the homeless people off the street and into warm enough clothes/shelter and out of the hospital being treated for exposure.
Sam: I haven’t hung out in downtown Austin. Montreal’s beggar density is closer to what I’ve seen in Seattle and San Francisco, where the climate encourages year-round begging.
Last time I checked (2001), more homeless people died in San Francisco that year (100) than in Chicago (6), so weather doesn’t tell the whole story. I don’t have statistics on the relative homeless population, but I suspect Montreal has heated shelters so the homeless don’t die of exposure.
The number of beggars in SF has decreased somewhat since then, as the city no longer provides them with a $400 monthly dole, but instead gives them vouchers for services like housing. The vouchers are obviously not as attractive to people with substance abuse problems.
Maybe they live in the large underground complex linking major building and shopping malls in the city center.
Beggars seem to flock to Montreal from all over Quebec and eastern Canada in the summer, probably due to high tourist density and the same things drawing everyone else, like free outdoor events.
I haven’t seen many during the winter, despite hardy Montrealers keeping up foot traffic even in sub-zero weather.
Wouldn’t call it comparable to San Francisco, even at summer’s peak.
I used to go to McGill and every day the same person would be waiting at the same time outside the Metro station. He would not ask for anything nor even look in my direction but just sat quietly on the sidewalk with a hat. I found I was picking up breakfast and giving him the change every day. It became a habit and I suppose there are others who do the same thing. If I gave him $.50 and 100-200 other did the same you an see that there is good money for very little work. All tax free.
In Canada it you can proved that you are disabled and cannot work you can apply for support (maybe $900/month). Plus there are many organizations that provide free meals, shelters etc.
Social security, health care and shelter in Montreal ensure that those beggars will stay warm this winter and that they will be back next summer to beg some more. Unemployment rate are not that high in the province of Quebec currently, so I don’t think the minimum wage has really anything to do with it.
The one place I find filled with homeless and beggars is Washington D.C.. Does anyone know why?
1. It’s possible that they have a better way of dealing with the insane-but-not-immediately-dangerous in Canada than in the U.S., a way that results in fewer of them sprawling on the sidewalks spare-changing people. This would tend to produce a healthier corps of panhandlers by itself, and it would likely make begging a more attractive option for the lowest level of the sane-but-shiftless population.
2. Montreal in August is pretty pleasant, or so I’ve heard. I’ve only ever been there in the winter, and I’ve never noticed a disproportionate number of beggars. It’s entirely possible that Montreal beggars are making hay while the sun shines, and repairing to someplace warmer (which would be just about any other North American city) for the winter.
3. It’s possible that many of these guys don’t speak English very well. If you speak only French fluently, you can’t as easily move somewhere else and get a job (and even in Montreal a lot of jobs require the ability to speak English).
4. Canada actually has a higher crime rate in general than the United States, but this isn’t the popular perception, on either side of the border. It could be that less crime paranoia leads to less police harassment of beggars leads to more beggars all together.
Tino, where do you get your number for number 4? From nationMaster, I see that rate per 1000 habitants is around 75 incidents in Canada and 80 in the USA. Also from other source you can find the murder rate at about 3 times higher in the USA compared to Canada.
The simplest reason I can think of is: Montreal is more fun than Boston.
More generally (and thus possibly less accurately): the US is fun only if you’re rich.
@Krysztof. Do you really think that homeless people conduct research to determine the most fun place to panhandle. If you’re that poor, no place is fun.
Montreal has an underground mall/subway system that is heated and open to everyone year-round. It’s actually a pretty nice place to stay if you dont have a home.
“Canadian health care system is superior to that of the U.S. and it keeps jobless people alive and vigorous so that they can beg on the streets of even the coldest city”
That could have something to do with it. Canadians are known for wearing their heart on their sleeve (which doesn’t necessarily mean they have a bigger heart), and could be another reason you see more beggars in Canada, ie. it payoffs more than other places.
I would separate street beggars into 2 categories though, the first group are people that are truly down on their luck (or have serious mental health issues), they typically do it temporarily and unwillingly, the 2nd group are the “lifers”, those people who have turned street begging into a life style choice. 2 or 3 or like minded people renting a cheap apartment, each getting $500-600 from the government, and then supplementing their income from begging and/or selling some pot. In their mind, it beats working for the man like “those other saps”.
The first group have my empathy and I do donate funds, the 2nd group are a scourge who believe it is their right to live this lifestyle, and be NET TAKERS in society.
If you frequent certain public places, it is typically easy to determine which group, a street beggar belong to.