The Summer of 2019 in Austin, TX will go down in history. At this time, steps were made to decriminalize homelessness in The Lone Star State. On June 21, after much discussion with the #HomesNotHandcuffs Coalition, the Capital City officially voted to amend some of the legislation criminalizing homelessness in the region.

Meanwhile, in Sacramento County, anti-camping laws came under fire, making sleeping on public property legal in instances where shelter beds are unavailable.

And, in 2018, a three-judge panel in the city of Boise declared the city’s anti-camping laws “unconstitutional”. Due to that groundbreaking court ruling, neighboring cities have questioned the morality of their own urban camping bans. Many see enforcement as inhumane or, at the very least, a last resort response to the growing homeless crisis.

Twelve books into Homer’s Odyssey, the unfortunate protagonist Odysseus and his men must navigate the straits between Scylla and Charybdis. Scylla is a six-headed monster who, when ships pass, swallows one sailor for each head. Charybdis is an enormous whirlpool that threatens to swallow the entire ship. As he and his men keep their ship far from the whirlpool, the heads of Scylla swoop down and decapitate six of the sailors.

Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place! Ancient Greek mythology is so charming. Homer’s Odyssey and homelessness have precious little in common. So, when there is crossover, it deserves contemplation. Neither obstacle that lay ahead of Odysseus was a particularly good one. A classic lose-lose scenario that ended up costing lives.

Homeless people often face the same lose-lose dilemma when choosing between life in shelters or on the street. What should be an obvious choice is becoming increasingly difficult, and many are opting for the latter. What factors are at play here? How can shelter usage improve?

Safety First – Realities and Perceptions
As an example of the extremes that homeless people are willing to take to avoid shelters, consider Toronto, Canada. With winter temperatures frequently dipping below zero, the decision to stay outdoors would seem unjustifiable. However, that’s exactly what Barb and her partner decided to do. “It’s safer out here. There’s no bugs. No one’s going to beat you up or steal your s***.” Their tentmate agreed, citing an additional reason. “I can leave my stuff here when I go work and know it won’t be stolen.”