Does Anyone Really Choose Homelessness?

To say that no one actually chooses to be homeless may be a fair argument, but let's consider it and decide for ourselves. We may also discover whether choosing homelessness, or not, invites the blame and shame of society.

In the absence of options, a person may have no choice but to leave the comforts of housing and transition their existence entirely into public view. If this were always the case, if an absence of options except the above were what all homeless people were faced with before deciding to take to the streets, then it would be true that no one actually chooses to be homeless.

However, this does not seem to be the case. Even when there appear to be very few options, there are always options. Even when the full spectrum of options are not apparent, there is still choice.

You might start by considering some of the most dramatic possibilities. If one were about to lose their home, for whatever reason, they would surely have the option to live outside without a proper home. They could also commit suicide, if capable of carrying it out. They could instead commit a crime which would cost them their freedom but grant them a bed.

What else might a person in this situation consider?

A person about to lose their home could ask for help, if they knew where to ask and how. This one, I think, many wrongly identify as a viable option for everyone, taking for granted their own capabilities and access to a network of support. In reality, or even just to the mind of the person in need, asking for help may be out of reach.

Next, we move on to the libertarian perspective. Work harder, you bum! Yes, that is possibly another option. If financial pressures are at play, and they almost certainly are in this desperate scenario, it would make sense, nothing else considered, to say that the person about to lose their home should work more often, or find some other way to make more money.

You have a body. Why not prostitute it?

You have blood. Why not sell it?

You have a life. Why not trade it for housing?

If we're being honest, those who fall into homelessness were already facing a limited scope of options. That doesn't mean there weren't any other options, but that the person who weighed them decided, consciously or not, that living on the street was their best bet for now.

Perhaps they figured they would take the time to decide on their next step, that it would be a relief to not have to worry about paying the rent for a little while. Just a breather, to come back with a clear head in a few days or weeks. They throw away almost everything they own, paint a sign asking for food or other assistance, and stand at that busy intersection near the entrance to the freeway.

Or maybe losing their housing snuck up on them. They were waiting to hear back from job applications, and continuing to submit right through eviction day, but they ran out of time. Do they have other choices? See the dramatic ones above. Instead, they choose be resilient and take this as a temporary setback. They move into their car and hope they will get themselves on their feet once more somehow, following up on emails from the window seat at Starbucks in yesterday's clothes.

Possibly, they don't even know what's happening. They've been mentally ill for some time, and experiencing physical ailments as well. Their neuroses caused them to lose their job, and they have no family to step in and help. When this person ends up on the street, their life of pain and confusion, perhaps anger and resentment, may have been a choice, but made of a mind not sound enough to make the right choices.

Ultimately I think it's important to understand that while those who end up living on the street did make the choices which led them there, few would choose such a hard life if substantially better options were available to them. When the options all look bleak, it doesn't make you crazy to choose a life that is different from what you've experienced so far. Perhaps there is some optimism in the person who decides to leave the grind of society for the grind of vagrancy, even if they don't regard their situation as chosen.

I will continue posting more information about me and my journey as it progresses. Feel free to comment or send me an email at [email protected] if you like.

Also by Casper Thompson: I'm Choosing to Be Homeless in LA