It's a sad problem. I try to help sometimes by giving them some money. But I suspect that most just buy a bottle of booze instead of food. Some you cannot help,...they are mentally ill. Once my wife gave a homeless woman a sandwich and the woman shredded the sandwich and tossed it. Sometimes they won't accept help.
We've got some homeless camps here along the Arroyo.. along the 110 Freeway, and the cops let them stay... until one of them came out on the street and pulled a knife on somebody because they wouldn't give them a cigarette. Then city came with trucks and pushed them down the river to Los Angeles and cleaned up after them.
Then you have the weirdos going into the homeless camps to have sex with these people. I've seen some stuff....
Usually I smell a strong oder of paint or model airplane glue when I ride by....