I hire them quite often actually. It started with one guy who was homeless and I gave him part-time work around my place for a few months doing handyman stuff and project. He did decent work. He eventually got a truck and a place. He had drug and alcohol issues and eventually stopped showing up and I found out he was in rehab. I was peeved he didn't tell me, but glad he was getting help.

He shows up again 3 months later with another guy saying its a buddy who is down on his luck and could use the work. So, I gave them both work and when they were here they worked hard and did good work, but they only showed up when they needed money to pay a bill and were really unreliable. I had major projects going with actual contractors and the two previously homeless guys would ask why I didn't give them the work, so I tried once and they let me down big time. Didn't show up half the time, blew passed major deadlines. Just failed big time. But I kept giving them little jobs to help them out. The new "buddy" eventually showed up one day asking for an advance of a few hundred bucks and said he would be back later that day to earn it. I never saw him again.

The original guy still shows up on occasion when he needs money or brings another friend that is down on his luck and I give them work around my place either doing yard work or carpentry if they have the skills. I pay them $10-15 an hour depending on what they can do since I am not an asshole who is going to take advantage on a guy down on his luck if he is willing to work. Some of the guys get enough money to go find a real job elsewhere, some end up in jail, and some just decide that working just isn't for them. I have never had anyone steal other than that one guy, but even him I do not begrudge because when he was here he did the work of two men and really busted his ass. So, all in all it has been pretty good to give work to those down on their luck. But the down side is it comes with flakiness, inconsistency and some occasional drama.