Can't even be penniless these days, you need a fancy electronic device, a data plan and reliable access to an outlet before you can beg for charity. Sad world.
And then people won't give you money because "look at them with their phones! I'm sure that could have paid rent for a month"
Maybe 1/10th of the rent for a month. Second-hand crappy phones are real damn cheap. I know someone who can't afford rent even if they paid for nothing else, and they go through one every 2-3 months.