Group hoping to decrease panhandling in eastern Idaho and help homeless population
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POCATELLO – You’ve likely seen people standing on a street corner with a cardboard sign and handed them money.
The Homeless and Housing Coalition of Southeast Idaho is made up of people in the housing industry who feel panhandling is becoming more prevalent in eastern Idaho and it’s a trend they’re hoping to change.
They recently partnered with Idaho State University to convert old parking meters into donation meters that can be placed in front of businesses. Placing money in the meters allows people to contribute to causes that can help panhandlers.
“The moment you give to a panhandler, you’ve really lost control over where that resource goes,” Coalition member Mark Dahlquist, tells EastIdahoNews.com. “If you really want to help … there’s some really great nonprofit organizations that do just that.”
Some of those organizations include Aid for Friends Homeless Shelter in Pocatello, the Salvation Army, the Bingham Crisis Center, Family Services Alliance in Pocatello and Oneida Crisis Center in Malad.
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The effort to place meters is an ongoing effort that began about 18 months ago. So far, one meter has been placed in front of Ridley’s Family Market on Main Street in Pocatello.
“We … empty the coins out once a week or so,” says Dahlquist. “As far as the money we’ve collected, it’s somewhere between $150 and $200 per quarter. It helps a little bit, but it’s not a whole lot.”
Ridley’s night manager Terrell W., who declined to provide his last name, says the initial response to the meter was positive and it helped cut down on panhandling.
“A lot of people were really happy about it at first … because they didn’t feel like they had to give to those people that were trying to intimidate them,” he says. “The interest in it has gone down (since COVID). Everyone just sees it as a fixture of the store now.”
Earlier this week, Nel’s Bi-Lo Market in Pocatello agreed to have one placed in front of its store.
Dahlquist and his team have five other meters they’re hoping to place in front of other businesses, but they’ve encountered a few challenges.
“Probably the most common thing (we hear) is ‘We have to go through our corporate office to get approval on that,'” says Dahlquist. “When people hear the word ‘homelessness’ and ‘coin collecting,’ I think there’s this misconception that this donation meter is going to be a liability to them … and they’re just not sure about it.”
A rise in homelessness statewide
A report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development indicates there was a 4% increase in homelessness statewide last year as compared to 2019. More than 1,660 people in Idaho were homeless, as of January 2020. About 100 of those were in region 5 in the southeast corner of the state, which includes Pocatello. Region 5 saw a decrease in homelessness in 2020.
The main reason cited for the increase in homelessness was an inability to find affordable housing.
“Homeownership … all across eastern Idaho is getting so tough,” Dahlquist says. “In the Pocatello market, housing prices have gone up 60% in five years. There really is a problem out there with a lack of affordable housing.”
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But not everyone who is homeless panhandles and not everyone who begs for money is homeless.
Tami Moore, Manager of the Aid for Friends Homeless Shelter in Pocatello, says guests are not allowed to panhandle. Of the 34 people they currently serve, only three were panhandlers prior to living there. She says panhandling is an easy way to make money and that’s why people do it.
“The majority of (people who panhandle) are on social security. It’s just either not enough to suit their habit or pay the rent,” Moore says.
Giving money to people in need is a noble endeavor, Dahlquist says, and he’s not suggesting anyone should be dismissed from society. He says contributing to a donation meter is more productive than giving to a panhandler and will go much farther.
He’s hoping to increase interest in the project and continue to make a difference in the community.
“We were hoping to be further ahead than this by now,” Dahlquist says. “We’re getting the word out, but I don’t think we’ve made an impact yet.”
If you’d like to learn more, contact Dahlquist at (208) 232-9468 ext. 101 or send an email to feedthemeter@nwpocatello.org.