If you see an unshaved person carrying all his belongings in a supermarket bag you can easily identify them as a beggar. There are a lot of beggars in Paris. They beg for money at metro entrances, in city parks, by the stores and churches, sitting in the sun and drinking cheap wine.

A beggar in Paris with his two dogs

Many SDF (sans domicile fixe) or homeless people live on the metro platforms. When the temperature unexpectedly fell to -10°C several years ago and one beggar died from hypothermia, the Parisian mayor opened the buildings of schools, universities and metro stations for the homeless and all the Parisians donated blankets, old coats and jackets to keep them warm.