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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reports that 553,742 people are permanently homeless, while over a million individuals seek shelter at any given moment, even if their circumstances are temporary.
Homelessness in America often comes with a stereotype: that those affected must have done something wrong, such as committing a crime, battling addiction, or struggling with alcoholism. While these are part of the story, they represent only a small portion of the reality. Thousands of children, veterans, skilled workers, and those burdened by medical debt are also facing homelessness without any fault of their own.
Despite hitting rock bottom, people have an extraordinary ability to recover and thrive. These are ten individuals who once lived without a home, but managed to escape their dire situations and create a new place to live.
10. Braheam Murphy
Braheam Murphy was a talented football player at Harding High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. His coach, Sam Greiner, noticed a decline in his grades and almost removed him from the team. What Greiner didn’t know was that Murphy was struggling just to find a place to sleep each night. His mother passed away when he was five, and his father remarried. The new stepmother gave birth to a half-sister with cerebral palsy, and the family could only afford a small one-bedroom apartment, leaving Murphy and his older sister without enough space.
Murphy worked part-time after football practice and stayed with relatives who allowed him and his sister to crash on their couches or floors for one or two nights. With no permanent place to stay, he had little time for homework, studying, or extra practice. If his situation didn’t improve, he would have no chance of succeeding in life.
Murphy confided in his coach about his difficult living conditions and his passion for football. He asked Coach Greiner if he could stay with him so that he could keep playing. Greiner agreed. With more stability, Murphy improved his grades to a 3.7 GPA and became the starting quarterback. His story inspired his teammates, and in 2018, his high school won the North Carolina state championships for the first time since the 1950s. A recruiter from Army West Point saw his potential and offered him a full scholarship to play football at their school.
9. Elijah Arnold
In October 2017, a thief entered an IHOP in San Antonio, Texas, armed with a gun. He fired two warning shots and threatened to kill anyone who tried to stop him. As he attempted to pry open the cash register with a crowbar, 22-year-old employee Elijah Arnold saw an opportunity and tackled the robber to the ground, gripping his legs as the thief tried to escape. The robber struck Arnold in the face with the crowbar, breaking his nose and causing blood to spill everywhere. However, with a black belt in karate, Arnold knew just how to keep the criminal detained until the police arrived.
Arnold earns just $2.50 an hour plus tips. So why would he risk his life for such a low-paying job? Because he's homeless, and his job is his only lifeline. Having spent his entire life in foster care, Elijah now lives in his battered car, parked at a 24-hour Walmart, and works tirelessly to make ends meet.
After Arnold’s heroic act potentially saved everyone in the store, grateful customers approached him, offering money and gift cards as a token of their appreciation. One of the local news outlets interviewed him about his bravery, and at the end of the segment, they awarded him $1,000. With tears in his eyes, Arnold humbly remarked that the money would help him finally find a place to live.
8. Raymond Pates
When veterans of the Vietnam War returned home, they were not welcomed with parades or celebrations. Instead, many felt hollow inside, suffering from undiagnosed Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. They grappled with the senseless violence they had witnessed, which made reintegration into civilian life extremely difficult. This issue is so widespread that it has led to the creation of a National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
After finishing his service in Vietnam, Raymond Pates returned to Birmingham, Alabama, where he turned to alcohol and drugs to numb the emotional scars. His situation worsened, and he eventually became homeless. One day, he walked into a church and asked the pastor if he could help with their charitable work. Through this involvement, he found a job with the Social Security Administration. Now in his sixties, Pates continues to assist in delivering food to the homeless in Birmingham, offering them words of hope. “Everyone can be a hero,” he said. “When you see a need, fill it.”
7. Joey
One chilly winter evening in London, a young couple, Charlotte and Taylor, missed their train and found themselves waiting for the next one. A homeless man in his twenties, named Joey, noticed them and kindly offered a warm spot under his blanket.
As they spoke, they learned that Joey had recently lost his job and gone through a difficult breakup, leading to him being kicked out of his girlfriend’s apartment. Stranded far from home, with no money or place to stay, he had no choice but to sleep in the train station. Charlotte, shivering from the cold, couldn’t imagine enduring that life for even a single night, let alone the months Joey had spent there. She offered to take him home with them, as her parents had a guest apartment.
Over time, Joey met Charlotte and Taylor’s family and friends, who helped him get back on his feet. A connection made through the group led to a job opportunity. For Joey, that simple act of kindness was the turning point, helping him rise from the lowest point in his life. Many take for granted the power of family and friendship during tough times, but for Joey, it was the key to his recovery.
6. Liz Murray
Liz Murray grew up in the Bronx, where her parents struggled with heroin addiction. Her mother suffered from schizophrenia and contracted AIDS from using dirty needles. Liz often had to skip school to care for her mother, and her father eventually left the family to live on the streets and in shelters. When Liz was just 16, her mother passed away. Without the responsibility of caring for her, Liz decided to refocus on her education. Despite being far behind academically, her school allowed her to study and take tests for the years she had missed.
Education became Liz's new focus. After enduring homelessness and almost not graduating, Liz was accepted into Harvard University. Today, she is married to her high school sweetheart, has published a book about her journey, and is raising two children in New York City. Reflecting on her experiences, she said, “If I had a religion, it would be gratitude... Look. I grew up broke. We didn’t have food in the fridge. We didn’t have a lot of stuff, but we had each other. And when you have that, you have everything.”
5. Amanda Richer
After suffering a traumatic brain injury, Amanda Richer was unable to continue working due to her disability and constant pain. She lost her home and was forced to live in a tent beneath a bridge in Seattle. Amanda became involved with local homeless outreach programs and worked at soup kitchens to receive free meals. She met Mark Horvath, the founder of Invisible People, a nonprofit that interviews homeless individuals for its YouTube channel. Despite her own struggles, Amanda’s upbeat and cheerful personality made her stand out.
During her interview, Mark asked Amanda how she stays positive despite being homeless. She replied:
You have to push through it. Remind yourself that you are a person, not an object. It doesn’t matter who discarded you... You are worthy of overcoming this. You have to love yourself because no one is coming to rescue you... If you need to be a Disney princess to get through it, be a Disney princess.
After her interview was posted online, Mark helped Amanda set up a GoFundMe account. With the support from kind-hearted donors, Amanda was finally able to find an apartment. She has since made several update videos with Mark, still radiating her happy, bubbly Disney princess persona.
4. Amos Reed
Amos Reed is a smart, quirky young man with a love for board games and discussions about fantasy and sci-fi. He might sound like any other kid living in Santa Barbara, California, except for one thing—he was raised by a single mother, bouncing between streets, shelters, and the occasional motel room. At 23, Reed chose to sleep on park benches rather than squeeze into a tiny motel room with his mother. Without his high school diploma, he struggled to find steady work. That is, until one day, he walked into Game Seeker and asked for a job.
With his first paycheck, Amos was able to rent a shared bedroom and leave homelessness behind. Once he had a place to stay, he focused on finishing his GED. His passion for board games made him the perfect fit for Game Seeker, where he continues to work to this day.
3. Daerys
Dionna, a single mother, lived with her young son, Daerys, in Detroit, Michigan. After losing her job as a nurse, she struggled to pay for childcare and had no family nearby to help. Determined not to give up her son to foster care, Dionna and Daerys found themselves living in homeless shelters until he was old enough to attend public school for a few hours each day. Even when Dionna found work again, it wasn’t enough to lift them out of their dire situation.
After waiting for years, they were finally offered a low-income apartment through state assistance. However, Dionna’s paycheck barely covered rent, food, and other necessities. With no money left for furniture, Daerys slept on a pile of blankets in the corner of their room. Then, Humble Design, a nonprofit, stepped in to furnish their apartment, including a bedroom for Daerys. Overcome with joy, Daerys cried when he saw his new bed. He’s not alone in his reaction; since 2009, Humble Design has furnished homes for 724 families across the Detroit area.
2. Chris Gardner
Chris Gardner was a single father left to raise his young son in San Francisco after his wife departed. Struggling to make ends meet with a meager paycheck, he was eventually evicted from his apartment. For an entire year, Gardner experienced homelessness, taking refuge in public restrooms and spending nights on park benches, waiting for his turn at shelters. Undeterred, he found an internship at a stock brokerage firm, using the little money he had to cover his son's daycare. There were nights when he had to bring his son to the office, where they would sleep under his desk. After a year of unpaid labor, Gardner earned a full-time position at the firm, thanks to his hard work and sharp skills in stock trading.
Today, Chris Gardner has a net worth exceeding $60 million. He gives back by donating generously to homelessness charities and causes dedicated to preventing violence against women. His incredible journey became the inspiration for the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, starring Will Smith.
1. Jean Manganaro
At the age of 15, Jean Manganaro came home from school to find that his alcoholic and abusive parents had abandoned him. Their apartment was now empty, and they were gone for good. He tried reaching out for help, but there was no one to turn to. Feeling lost, he befriended other troubled teens and fell into the same destructive patterns as his parents, becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol. His reckless behavior landed him in a juvenile detention center, and as an adult, homelessness continued to plague him.
At 29, Manganaro made a life-changing decision. He moved to Florida in search of a long-lost older brother and started attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. After sharing his story, one member of the group offered him a deal: crash on their couch for two weeks, and after that, he had to find a job and pay rent or leave. Manganaro took the challenge head-on and quickly found a job.
Manganaro went on to volunteer helping homeless men he encountered in Florida. He saw firsthand the many flaws in the system where government red tape blocked many people from getting the assistance they needed. This motivated him to establish The Gratitude House, an organization dedicated to helping individuals overcome their addictions, find employment, and rebuild their lives. Using the same two-week challenge that had helped him, Manganaro today leads a successful, sober life with a stable career, a wife, and children.
