40+ Quotes That Will Open Your Eyes About Homelessness

Published October 17, 2023

Homelessness is something that many people witness, but very few are willing to talk about. Even in mainstream media, homeless people are either vilified or glorified. But very few tackle how it really is to become homeless.

In truth, homelessness is a perpetual shame of humanity. It’s a tragedy that there are people who own so many houses they have to hire someone to keep track of it for them. And yet, some people have to sleep on the sidewalk because they can’t afford rent.

Unfortunately, not a lot of people realize this. The common notion is that homelessness is somewhat of a choice. The homeless deserve what they are going through because they didn’t study hard or look for a job. But no, it isn’t like that at all.

There is so much more to homelessness than what the world is telling you. To give you a better perspective, here are 40 homeless quotes that will open your eyes to the truth about this tragedy.

Quotes About the Homeless

1. We think sometimes 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
2. When life gets hard, try to remember: the life you complain about is only a dream to some people – Anonymous
3. Home is a notion that only nations of the homeless fully appreciate and only the uprooted comprehend. – Wallace Stegner
4. My life was a wandering; I never had a homeland. It was a matter of being constantly tossed about, without rest; nowhere, and never did I find a home. – Jan Amos Komensky
5. A castaway in the sea was going down for the third time when he caught sight of a passing ship. Gathering his last strength, he waved frantically and called for help. Someone on board peered at him scornfully and shouted back, “Get a boat!” – Daniel Quinn
6. It takes a society to combat homelessness, and a strong nation to fight poverty – Wayne Chirisa
7. Nowhere in the bible did it say, “Only show compassion and empathy to those you can trust.” If we did that, we would be burying homeless people every day. – Shannon L. Adler
8. There are millions of homeless people in the world because humanity does not have a proper conscience! – Mehmet Murat Ildan
9. Like you, I know people who drink, people who do drugs, and bosses who have tantrums and treat their subordinates like dirt. They all have good jobs. Were they to become homeless, some of them would surely also become ‘alcoholics,’ ‘addicts,’ or ‘mentally ill. – Elliot Liebow
10. Homelessness is not a choice, but rather a journey that many find themselves in. – Asa Don Brown
11. Escaping poverty among the physical barriers is difficult, but with the added emotional toll, it’s almost impossible. It’s not as simple as we’d like to think. – Terence Lester
12. Homeless exist because billionaires exist. In polarity, there is extreme poverty and extreme wealth. Bridge the gap between the two and you will find balance and an earth that will survive the threat of humanity’s self-imposed climate change. Earth is a reflection of humanity. – Deborah Bravandt
13. We live in a world where there is so much wealth. There shouldn’t be a homeless person. That’s crazy. – Raheem De Vaughn
14. You can spend money on new housing for poor people and the homeless, or you can spend it on a football stadium or a golf course. – Jello Biafra
15. Most people never really sat down and got to know a homeless person but 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
16. The worst poverty isn’t about not having enough money to survive. Real poverty is when there is no one in the world who loves you. When there is no other human to make you feel like you matter. As if you aren’t worth the air you breathe. Poverty of love is the worst thing you can be deprived of. – Paige Dearth
17. Homelessness is not just about having a job or an apartment. Too often homelessness is due to a disordered mind. – Danielle Steel
18. After all, a homeless man has reason to cry, everything in the world is pointed against him. – Jack Kerouac
19. Most homeless kids are on the streets because they have been forced by circumstances that cause them to think that they are safer there than in any home they once knew. – Jewel
20. Poverty is the mother of crime. – Marcus Aurelius
21. When we bear witness when we become the situation — homelessness, poverty, illness, violence, death — the right action arises by itself. – Bernie Glassman
22. One of the toughest jobs we have is convincing some people that we’re not making up this problem. The homeless out here may be harder to see, but they are all around, right beneath the surface. – Dottie Kastigar
23. The world of the homeless is a tough and interesting world. – Paul Dano
24. Homelessness is not the result of not having a house, it’s a lack of a soul in a body. – Goitsemang Mvula
25. Freedom is meaningless if people cannot put food in their stomachs, if they can have no shelter, if illiteracy and disease continue to dog them. – Nelson Mandela
26. People who are homeless are not social inadequates. They are people without homes. – Sheila McKechnie
27. Not everyone who’s homeless is a drug-addict or in need of mental health care. Some are normal people who’ve been knocked down, and it can happen to you too. Not all of us made bad life choices.  – Sherrilyn Kenyon
28. If sometimes our poor people have had to die of starvation, it is not that God didn’t care for them, but because you and I didn’t give, were not an instrument of love in the hands of God, to give them that bread, to give them that clothing; because we did not recognize him, when once more Christ came in distressing disguise, in the hungry man, in the lonely man, in the homeless child, and seeking for shelter. ~ Mother Teresa
29. There’s no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless or jobless. – Chris Kyle
30. Seven out of ten Americans are one paycheck away from being homeless. – Pras Michel
31. These things become the norm: that some homeless people die of cold on the streets is not news. In contrast, a ten-point drop in the stock markets of some cities is a tragedy. – Pope Francis

Inspirational Quotes for the Homeless

1. “You’ve gotta have gusto… that’s what makes you a fighter.”  
2. “Your current situation does not define your worth.”
3. .“Leave the shame behind and be proud, because you’re going to overcome this. I hope other women can find that inside of them.” 
4. “Your strength lies in your ability to rise from adversity.”
5. “Stay positive no matter what. And be patient, it won’t happen all at once.” 
6. “No matter how tough the road ahead, don’t give up on your dreams.”
7. To those who are struggling. To talk about a struggle, you’re likely to forget about it. To be shown a struggle, you’re likely not to forget it. But, to live through a struggle, you’ll understand it. – Valerie Owens