I know I'm repeating here, but have you met the people living on the street? They aren't starving, thanks to charity, but they aren't that employable. A lot of them lack limbs, or have serious mental health problems that are probably exacerbated by living on the street, and would probably be exacerbated by working in a rough job.
I've tried thinking of jobs they could do, but I have had a hard time coming up with anything except recycling - something like sorting through residential trash picking out the recyclables. As it turns out, that industry is employing a lot of homeless people. And, you have to consider that recycling is subsidized by fees on bottles and cans.
I've also worked at a place were we hired a guy with some mental disability to clean up the cafe. He did OK, but not a really good job. If they offered $2 more an hour, they could have hired someone who'd clean AND fix things, easily saving more than the $4000 extra a year he'd cost.
I've tried thinking of jobs they could do, but I have had a hard time coming up with anything except recycling - something like sorting through residential trash picking out the recyclables. As it turns out, that industry is employing a lot of homeless people. And, you have to consider that recycling is subsidized by fees on bottles and cans.
I've also worked at a place were we hired a guy with some mental disability to clean up the cafe. He did OK, but not a really good job. If they offered $2 more an hour, they could have hired someone who'd clean AND fix things, easily saving more than the $4000 extra a year he'd cost.