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I don't agree with it for two specific reasons, non is a judgement of character or moral failings:
My belief is that we should mitigate suffering, help them live good lives, and set them up to be contributing members of society, and that isn't accomplished by randomly giving people money.
Lol yes it is. Most of the population would be mitigated suffering if you just gave them money. Literally money buys happiness until you're like a millionaire. Get off your high horse and treat these people like humans and not as something less than.
That is generally true, but not in this context. If you are an addict, having $50 doesn't enable you to improve your life. It just enables you to buy your next fix. I don't say this to demonize anyone, but the point is that many homeless have mental or physiological issues that make it very hard for them to spend money wisely. Handing out money is slapping a bandaid on the issue or possibly worsening their situation. Chronic homelessness cannot be fixed by a few good natured individual's pocket change. It requires actual rehabilitation, which is incredibly hard.
This is just putting your own morals and conditions on generosity and also assuming you know what's best for the homeless person. Yes, I agree we need systemic change to address homelessness but that's not what this is about. I think we should give without judgement. You're not gonna give them the whole rehabilitation treatment and society has failed them, who are you to judge if the next fix is or isn't the best thing for them to cope, minimize their suffering, make it through a hard day or cold night?
This whole conversation wreaks of holier than thou.
Acknowledging crippling dependence != judgement
Do you know how addiction works?
You're assuming crippling dependency and yes you are making a judgement, it's your whole reason why you're not giving money. Yes I know how addiction works I'm 6 years clean from hard drug use and was an addict for about an long.
Addiction is rarely the root cause of homelessness, it's a byproduct, and it's something people do to cope with their hard reality. If these people's society hadn't failed them they likely wouldn't be turning to hard drugs to numb the pain of their existence.
Addiction was simply an example of why a homeless person might not be able to handle money reponsibly. It was not an assumption about what made them homeless, nor was it a judgement on their character. I don't disagree with anything your saying, so I don't see the problem. And I don't refuse giving any aid. I just think giving to an organization is more likely to help a person than giving to them directly. Maybe if I was handing out in volumes of $1k it'd be enough to change soneone's like, but obvioualy most can't afford to do that.
Furthermore, it's people operating withing a system that has failed them.
Hypothetically, where everyone is equal and starting on equal foot, giving everyone morem oney likely would benefit most.
But we don't live in hypothetical land. Those resorting to begging are primarily in a bad state and we'll down the path of mental instability, chronic homelessness, addiction, physical disabilities, or escaping abuse. They don't have the education or mental capacity to make the right choices financially and don't have safety nets to get them on their feet.