It is better to hear or give a specific "no" to a request than to settle for "maybe" or "i'll try."

i would say "I'll try."

Yes! "Maybes" and "i'll try"s make people question what you mean, especially when they are given that answer many times, enough to lose trust. A specific no, maybe with a reason to help sugarcoat it, will suffice, and not hurt the other person's feelings.

it means the homeless needs more

explanation:

the homeless has no food water homes ect.