It is a common sight and one of our nation’s biggest problems. No, not even just our nation but instead one of the biggest problems globally. It is the homeless. Visit any major city and the homeless can be seen begging for money on street corners and highway intersections. Do you give them money? It is a controversial topic that has been in the news lately by the recent court decision relating to a homeless man and a Go Fund Me account.
No one wants to be homeless and for many the sight of someone down on their luck tugs at their heart and they give them their spare change or a dollar bill from their wallet. There are others that believe that the homeless person that they are helping will simply use that money to buy alcohol or drugs and that by giving them that money they are enabling them. So what if there was a way that you could give money to a homeless person knowing that it would go towards necessities like food or shelter and not alcohol or something illegal?
Greater Change
There may be. The city of Oxford in the United Kingdom has unveiled a program called Greater Change. The homeless will receive a card from the city that will have a QR Code. A person walking by can scan that card and will see a picture of the person come up so they know that they are donating to the right person. The giver will be able to donate money which will be placed in a restricted fund. Scanning the code also lets the donator learn a little bit more about the person through a brief bio. An alias can also be used to protect the homeless person.
The program is the brainchild of Alex McCallion. With modern society moving away from physical cash fewer Good Samaritans would be able to donate and the program also addresses the issue of where the money goes. A win-win it seems! A case worker at a local charity works with the homeless person to ensure that the money is being spent on real needs by developing a plan with the person and doing the actual purchasing themselves and delivering it to the person. Any browser works with the program and there is also a dedicated app as well.
Reactions from the public
Reactions have been divided. Some do not like the idea believing that it will bring no change while others are more receptive to the idea. Some also do not like it as they feel the cards will shame the homeless and people will use them to look at them like zoo animals. It is optional for the homeless of the city but most who have signed up feel it is a good idea. An anonymous donor has pledged to match the amount donated but not all of it goes to the homeless person as payment processing fees and other transaction fees must be deducted.
Today Oxford tomorrow the world
The program is being trialed in Oxford, a city of about 170,000 people and most famous for its university, the oldest in the English speaking world. With what is believed to be about 150,000 total homeless in the UK Oxford is an ideal place to trial this. It is believed that there are at least 90 people “rough sleeping” in the city and while the number pales in comparison to cities in other parts of the world of that size the number is quickly escalating. If the program can be successful here it could work in other British cities like Manchester, Liverpool or even London and maybe even around the world.