The effect of homelessness on Harvard Square business is negligible, Sudholz says.
"Sometimes, unfortunately, [panhandlers] can be very aggressive in their panhandling and that can be a turnoff for the customer," Sudholz says. "It depends on how aggressive the homeless person is and how sensitive the customer is to panhandlers and how sensitive the customer is to panhandling.The customer may feel affronted."
Coop President Jeremiah P. Murphy '73 says the homeless in the Square do not affect business. "To date, I've had very few complaints about homeless people in front of the Coop," he says. "In general they don't bother customers."
A Matter of Life and Death
For people like Juan who are truly homeless, life on the streets can be harrowing.
"I sat out here for a week one time, no money, no food. [I survived by] not eating," Juan says. "I starved, that's all could do."
Springman reflects on the loneliness, rejection and inconvenience homeless people encounter.
"I get lonely a lot, knowing I have no place to hang my clothes; every time you leave the shelter I got to take all my clothes with me," he says. "I'd rather be able to go home when I want to, sit down and watch some TV."
While some people dismiss donations to panhandlers as trivial, a small donation can be a matter of life or death for the homeless.
"[Homeless people] are under a lot of pressure to survive, it's not some thing we can take a day off from," Sal says. "It's something we have to do everyday to survive, [not panhandling] would be like not eating or sleeping one day. We all assume it's the next person's job to take care of the homeless."