Prostitution might spring to mind. Of course you will find both homeless men and women attempting to survive this way in the Polk or the Tenderloin in San Francisco. Among the enterprises in which homeless people engage is panhandling. Tobacco, alcohol, or drugs. Let some former homeless people who have panhandled tell you about it.
Many homeless people feel strongly themselves that panhandling is immoral.
Perhaps it was the humiliation of asking for help and receiving a refusal, or perhaps it was the stigma of not working for what he received, but Eighner only resorted to panhandling when he became absolutely desperate. Note how this informs the discussion on the Homelessness Discussion List . Panhandling does exhibit a certain entrepreneurial spirit. A San Francisco paper, the Street Sheet , explains how this works. The Rev. Steve Burger, their Executive Director, suggests that you buy food items instead of giving to panhandlers .