Your husband is right, there are menial jobs out there. However, the people you see with cups are, (99% sure here from my 20 year work experience) unable to get those jobs. Yes, some are scams. But most are not. most are people that cannot stay in shelters due to paranoid schizophrenia, or other psychiatric disabilities. the system can not help those who refuse (because their minds don't let them accept help- they think others are out to hurt them, kill them, it is not a fake thing- their minds truely lead them to believe that this is the way it is- many of them freeze to death here in boston every winter- they refuse to go inside.
HOWEVER- I do not give money in those cups. they have other resources and even though they are paranoid about using them, I know they are there and cannot give money when I know they are not using them. I tell them (and it's a daily thing for me) to go to the shelter for help- shelters don't just give shelter anymore- they help with job search, life skills, getting housing vouchers etc.