Helping Handset

Here is the idea; while I see some benefit, it also seems problematic:

* Old way: I give cash to homeless person

* New way: I see homeless person, use an app to make an electronic payment to GiveSafe, and GiveSafe distributes something (what exactly?) to a local institution which gives something (what?) to (the? a? this? all? any?) homeless person.

...

My concerns:

It adds friction; cash is much more efficient and easier, with less overhead. It's a brilliant technological feat: Full faith financial trust in a piece of paper.

More importantly, it takes away yet more autonomy and liberty from the homeless person, who already is very vulnerable to the state and other institutions. Under this program, even to get the little bit of cash I want to give them, they are in the power of an institution: They have to register, carry this electronic device, collect the money from the institution, only spend it in certain places, etc. Should they displease the institution, they are screwed. Should there be any corruption in the institution (don't imagine those institutions are different than others), they are screwed. And they have very little power to protect themselves: They have no access to courts, they have no political pressure to bring to bear, no pocketbook/consumer power, and because they are homeless, nobody will take them seriously anyway.[0]

They already are powerless; I don't know if I want to make it worse.

[0] https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/i-wasnt-crazy-a-homeles...