Should I Date a Homeless Person? – 9 Things to Consider

Just because “home is where the heart is” doesn’t mean people without a traditional home don’t deserve love. But if you’re someone with a roof over their head every night, should that keep you from dating someone who is homeless? Are there any dangers of dating someone homeless you should be aware of?

While this is certainly a less-covered topic, it can be an important one if you’re looking to date off the beaten path. In this guide, we’re going to cover the topic in full including what to consider if you’re thinking about homeless dating, some of the more prominent dangers to be aware of, and a few frequently asked questions.

Questions to Decide If You Should Date Someone Who is Homeless

Maybe you didn’t expect this to happen…You met someone you’re interested in, but you also found out that they’re living on the streets. While the most important thing to always consider is safety (which we will cover in detail shortly), there are other considerations to take into account.

Let’s look at some questions you can ask yourself to help you decide if you should move forward with dating a homeless person.

1. Do I feel safe with this? We already said it, but we will say it again. This entire decision should start with looking at safety which we’re going to cover in full in the next section. We’re just including it here again for completeness at the risk of sounding like a broken record.
2. How long have they been on the streets? Have they been homeless for years or did they just fall on hard times and end up on the street? Generally, this can have a big effect on who they are and how they conduct themselves. The longer they’ve been homeless, the more engrained that lifestyle and the accompanying habits will be in them.
3. Have they accepted being homeless? This is a great question if you’re really on the fence about homeless dating. Is the person someone who just fell on hard times but is working hard to get out of it? Or are they someone who is homeless and has basically decided they’re okay with being homeless? If it’s the latter, don’t expect that to change anytime soon, but if they’re just on hard times, things may change.
4. Do I care what other people think? Don’t expect your family or even your friends to be jumping for joy that you’re dating someone who is homeless. While some people may be supportive, others may not be so quick to jump on the bandwagon. Decide if you’re okay with the flack or not.
5. Am I okay with covering things financially? If someone is homeless, money is going to be tight.

At the end of the day, here’s the bottom line.

Whether you decide to date someone homeless or you decide it’s not for you, there is nothing wrong with that decision.

You are not a bad person if you decide you don’t want to date someone in that stage of their life. You’re also not some superhero person if you decide to date someone who is homeless. Choosing who you want to date based on something like “where they are at in their life” is okay.

Do remember this, though. Homeless people are people too. They have feelings. Many have goals. If you decide you don’t want to date them, still treat them with the dignity and respect that any human being regardless of their living situation deserves.

Dangers of Dating Someone Who is Homeless

As we have already mentioned several times, there are some safety concerns to consider when you’re thinking about homeless dating. As a disclaimer, no, we are not saying that all homeless people are dangerous. No, we are not saying that all or any of the things we’re about to talk about are true of the person you’re interested in.

But it may be, and you have to be realistic in your decision. Here are several things to pay attention to.

• Cleanliness and Disease – Yes, we’re just jumping headfirst into all of this. Unfortunately, there are a lot of diseases that people are more susceptible to when they don’t have the ability to stay as clean or hygienic as they’d like. Again, not always the case but certainly something to be aware of.
• Mental Illness – Many people who live on the streets are there because they have fallen on hard times. Others, though, may be there because they are suffering from a mental illness. While this is not something that disqualifies someone from love, it is something that you need to be aware of as there may be safety considerations to be aware of.
• The Effects of Hard Times – Sometimes people who are on hard times will do anything to survive. This may mean things like theft or potentially worse. Again, not everyone, but something to consider.
• Drug Use – Another hard fact of life on the street is that many people are there because of drug use. Additionally, many people turn to the use of hard drugs on the street to try and get through the tough conditions. While we’re not here to discuss our opinions on the use of hard drugs, there’s no debate that they often drive people to do things that are unsafe or against the law.

So, with all this said, is dating someone homeless dangerous? The answer is that it depends; some people who are just on hard times may be perfectly safe to date. However, many of the reasons that people are on the streets (mental illness, drug use, running from the law, etc.) are things that can create less than safe conditions that you may not want to be a part of.

Use your best discretion, ask the hard questions, and above all stay safe out there.