I was always comfortable giving a few spare coins here and there but it’s becoming a huge problem as poverty rates increase. You would only ever see beggars in town but they’re now outside most convenience stores, bookies and cash machines at least some of the time.
I’ve also heard rumours that some of them are dropped off in locations by dealers to work shifts in exchange for drugs. I’m not certain of this but I have noticed the odd one turn up and take the place of another one when I would normally expect them to defend their patch if they were making decent money.
More likely to be sharing a slum landlord property or HMO in Teesside; Anyone at that level of social situation + addiction has minimal contact with anyone not in a similar situation.