Panhandler? You could be a Santation Worker Instead
Albuquerque's 311 van drives around the city all day, picking up panhandlers and taking them to work. But is that really a viable way to reduce homelessness?
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“Please help, Willing to work.” We have all seen this sign. Most drivers try not to make eye contact; a few may roll down a window and drop some change. In Albuquerque, these panhandlers get to be part of the City's Sanitation Department.
Instead of ticketing panhandlers to remove them from view, Mayor Berry wanted to connect them with paid work, and hopefully a path to a better life. He calls it “bringing dignity through work.”
Here is how “There’s a Better Way” works.
The City goes out with a van and hires people for day labor. Drivers can call 311 and report a panhandler and the city will go out with the van and ask them if they want a job for the day, at $9/hr complete with lunch and overnight shelter. The van also conducts its own regular patrols. As the program expanded in 2025, following its pandemic hiatus, it offered services to connect participants with substance abuse counseling, transportation to worksites from shelters, financial literacy, banking, and case management services; the program has also educated over 560,000 citizens on various ways to support unsheltered residents. Part of that message was about what drivers should do with the $5 they would have otherwise passed out their window. The city encouraged the $5 they may give to a panhandler to give it a food bank where it can feed 20 people, rather than giving the money to an individual who may not spend the money on something beneficial.
There were two critical elements to the program: the van driver and the nonprofit partner.
The first key to the program was a great driver, Will. To start, the city had to find someone reliable and trustworthy to drive the van. They found Will. Will drove the first van, nearly every day, picking up panhandlers or those in need. Most importantly, he was someone these individuals came to trust.
The second key element was a nonprofit partner, St. Martin’s Hospitality Center. It takes the city government upwards of six weeks to hire someone, even to pay them just $9/hr. St. Martins could onboard these participants, get them insured, pay them and get them connected to other support services, and then be reimbursed by the city on the back end. Private sector partners provide absolutely essential flexibility and capacity building for local governments.
The impact has been on an individual level, not a systematic one.
There’s a Better Way has been incredibly impactful for the individuals reached by the van, and has been touted around the country. Cities like Chicago, Philadelphia and Seattle have all implemented similar programs. But challenges to housing and long term employment still remain. The program has tried to offer support services to address issues around health, hygiene, substance abuse and disabilities, but the van can only make an impact in a handful of people’s lives each day. For those individuals the impact is not insignificant, but it has not had the kind of systematic impact needed to drastically reduce chronic homelessness across the city. The program thrives on individual and anecdotal information, but is too small to show consistent data-driven efficacy. There are other critiques, like the fact that 311 operators often must place callers on hold and are not open 24/7, unlike panhandlers.
Despite the critiques, the individuals, some of whom have transitioned from their day laborer jobs into permanent employment and housing, clearly demonstrate the benefit. And yet, the program is cheap: one van, a driver, a nonprofit shelter, and $50,000 was all it took. The program is not an answer to homelessness, but it gives people dignity and a path to a better future all in a day’s work.
For more information:
https://www.ted.com/talks/richard_j_berry_a_practical_way_to_help_the_homeless_find_work_and_safety
https://www.cabq.gov/mayor/news/one-year-later-better-way-forward-delivering-real-results
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