51 Homeless Quotes To Inspire Empathy And Action

By Clifton Sankofa

School Leader, Language Arts Expert & Master Quote Curator

Published December 27, 2022

If you are looking for homeless quotes, we have got you covered.

Our homeless sayings touch on various aspects of homelessness as a global challenge.

What does being homeless mean?

Here are some facts and data to give you more insight into the world’s growing population of unhoused people.

On any night, 407,966 individuals were homeless in shelters, transitional housing programs, or streets (this number does not include persons in family households).
On any given night,109,812 individuals were chronically homeless.
A 1998 national study of the prevalence of homelessness among youths living in households was 7.6%
In 2007, researchers estimated that this translates to a national prevalence of 1.6 million youth experiencing homelessness yearly.
Data found that 12% of all homeless clients were aged 17-24.
The majority of homeless youth are 13 or older.
Multiple studies show that homelessness among youth is more common among males, particularly among street-involved youth.
Some data on youth in shelters show more females than males; However, depending on the sample, gender distribution varies.
Studies show differing compositions of race/ethnicity among homeless youth.
Some studies found disproportionate representation among racial/ethnic minority youth who become homeless.
Rates of mood disorders, suicide attempts, conduct disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder are higher among homeless populations.
The risk for mental health problems is higher among street-involved homeless youth than those homeless but not on the streets.
The risk of alcohol or drug abuse or dependence is higher.
Homeless youth are more likely to have histories of physical or sexual abuse.
Homeless youth often experience trauma before becoming homeless and are at increased risk of trauma after they become homeless.

There are many definitions of what it means to be homeless.

One of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definitions of a person experiencing homelessness is any individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, such as those living in emergency shelters, transitional housing, or places not meant for habitation.

Check out our homeless quotes below for more context and awareness.

If you enjoy this article, check out our collection of home quotes that will make you appreciate where you lay your head.

Homeless quotes by famous authors and artists

Below are homeless quotes from well-known authors and artists.

1. “I was 21 and homeless – such a broken, lost woman.” — Lykke Li

2. “I went from broke and homeless sleeping on couches.” — Kehlani

3. “I just feel like I influence people because I’m like – I was practically homeless.” — Cardi B

4. “Starbucks is the last public space with chairs. It’s a shower for homeless people.” — Mike Birbiglia

5. “I was planning on my future as a homeless person. I had a really good spot picked out.” — Larry David

6. “Adversities such as being homeless and going to prison has made many people stronger.” — Philip Emeagwali

7. “When you’re homeless, you get into crime, prostitution, and drugs, and it is a vicious circle.” — Samantha Morton

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8. “A homeless veteran should not have to stand at a freeway exit with a cardboard sign. That’s not okay.” — Joe Walsh

9. “l became homeless for 11 months and squatted in a building on Sullivan Street in lower Manhattan.” — Andrew Zimmern

10. “I realized eventually that when I ran out of places to stay and found myself on the D train and in Central Park, I was actually homeless.” — Liz Murray

Homeless quotes about caring for and feeding homeless people

Everyone deserves care. Mother Theresa made caring for those in need her life mission. These quotes honor that tradition.

11. “To anyone who is homeless, I say, find a home.” — Ben Okri

12. “I’ve been homeless before. I’ve had to come through other stuff.” — Zoe Quinn

13. “What shocks me is that so many people leave care and become homeless.” — Samantha Morton

14. “Temping is the worst. I would rather starve and be homeless than nanny or temp again.” — Nikki Glaser

15. “My dad illegally went through the border and was living under a bridge; he was homeless.” — Brian Ortega

16. “I’m a bit fashion bipolar. I either really go for it, or people think I’m a homeless person.” — Emily Hampshire

17. “I’ve worked with homeless kids, kids in foster care, and I’ve never met a kid who couldn’t be reached.” — Vanessa Diffenbaugh

18. “The first thing that I ever made was a documentary that I shot… in downtown L.A. about a group of homeless people.” — Pamela Adlon

19. “You know, when I was a kid out here in L.A., I was homeless; I didn’t have any money, and I was living in my car. I was 18.” — Thomas Jane

20. “We can feed the hungry, house the homeless. Most of us feel a moral and ethical responsibility to do so – to ‘do unto others.’” — Stephen Moore

Homeless quotes to inspire kindness

Helping people is good for your health. These helping homeless people quotes will inspire empathy in you.

21. “Most people never really sat down and got to know a homeless person.” — Ron Hall

22. “I’ve lived in many things – boats, caravans, and buses. I’ve been homeless.” — Neon Hitch

23. “Importantly, I still give money to homeless people – and all other charities.” — Gerry Harvey

24. “I’ve said this before: a homeless guy in Detroit has more mojo than a millionaire in Jacksonville.” — Shahid Khan

25. “I’ve been the teenage success, I’ve been homeless and driving around in my car and not knowing where to eat.” — Dexter Fletcher

26. “I was homeless, and I was in San Diego, and I started singing in a local coffee shop, and people started coming to hear me sing.” — Jewel

27. “We thought about feeding the homeless, and we phoned up the church that we eventually went to and asked if we could help.” — Tyrone Mings

28. “You don’t want to end up telling somebody who’s homeless or a refugee that stress is all perceptual because it sure isn’t in those cases.” — Robert Sapolsky

29. “Thousands of homeless people found themselves on the wrong side of the law. Some have been imprisoned for using property abandoned by its owners.” — George Monbiot

30. “My mum literally drives into Skid Row every day and manages teams that are assembled to walk around and engage with usually chronically homeless people and try to get them into permanent housing.” — Cameron Boyce

Homeless quotes about the US And UK

The United States and The United Kingdom are wealthy nations with some of the highest poverty rates. These quotes provide perspective on the conditions people in these countries survive.

31. “You could go out and give a million dollars to a charity tomorrow to help the homeless.” — Gerry Harvey

32. “If I see a baby, I don’t feel anything. It’s like Theresa May walking past a homeless person.” — Ellie Taylor

33. “I’m somewhat of a socialist in the sense that I believe in housing for the homeless and medical care for all.” — Jim Jefferies

34. “I personally go to the airport looking like a homeless person because I think people will leave me alone.” — Andre Leon Talley

35. “I was without my own place for nearly two years. It’s such a cliche to be a homeless musician in New York” — Sharon Van Etten

36. “Most people, if you live in a big city, you see some form of schizophrenia every day, and it’s always in the form of someone homeless.” — Eric McCormack

37. “I got told so many times I needed a manager. For a long time, I resisted, and I finally got one so I can pay my mortgage, and it helped me from becoming a homeless person.” — Cat Power

38. “A lot of Christmas episodes feel like stories in quotation marks. Uh, a homeless guy comes to live with them, and they all learn a lesson. That didn’t come from an organic place.” — Raphael Bob-Waksberg

39. “The homeless often lose trust in people: in the hospital doctors, who had no choice but to discharge them back onto the streets, and in the family members from whom they have become estranged.” — Ed Davey

Anything can be found humorous, and many comedians make jokes about homelessness. However, homelessness is a serious social problem.

40. “Seven out of 10 Americans are one paycheck away from being homeless.” — Pras Michel

41. “I was homeless for a little bit. I was on people’s couches, but it was an amazing journey. I got to make people laugh all the way.” — Sherri Shepherd

42. “Every homeless person is just a real person that was created by God, and it is the same kind of different as us; they just have a different story.” — Ron Hall

43. “Understand who you are so that you can be the same, whether you’re talking to a homeless person or the president of the United States. You’re the same person.” — Stedman Graham

44. “When my son was three years old – I’ll never forget this – there was this homeless guy walking toward us, and my son looked at me, and he said, ‘Who’s your buddy?’” — Al Madrigal

45. “In our country, if you’re hungry, we’ll feed you. If you’re homeless, we’ll house you. If you’re too poor to be sick, we’ll pay for your doctor. But all of that comes at a cost.” — John Kennedy

46. “We cannot stop earthquakes, we cannot prevent droughts, and we cannot prevent all conflict, but when we know where the hungry, the homeless, and the sick exist, then we can help.” — Jan Schakowsky

47. “What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?” — Mahatma Gandhi

48. “We sometimes think that poverty is only being hungry, naked, and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” — Mother Teresa

49. “Growing up, my dad was ‘get a real job, don’t go pursuing your dreams, that’s how you become homeless.’ So, do I pick my family or do I pick my own happiness, and how much does my own happiness depend on my family?” — Jimmy O. Yang

50. “Before I was making music, I was homeless. I didn’t have all the girls or any friends – and now I have everything that I wanted.” — PnB Rock

51. “I think no person should be homeless if we can have public structures and public policy to allow for people to have homes and food and lead a dignified life in the United States.” — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez