Well... 15 years ago we didn't have smartphones. If 15 years ago you could tell a homeless person that they could carry a post office, a phone box, a map, a li

Well... 15 years ago we didn't have smartphones. If 15 years ago you could tell a homeless person that they could carry a post office, a phone box, a map, a list of social services, a research tool, and a way to communicate with friends, family and allies in their pocket, they would have gotten one, too. Of course you're not going to pay for an iPhone if you're short on cash, but smartphones have cost less than 100 dollars for five years, and used phones sell for less. Combine this with wifi, and maybe a pay-as-you-go or super cheap unlimited SMS plan with limited talk, and the low price you pay for the kind of resources you get access to is a no-brainer. And let's not forget you have a lot of down time when you're homeless. Candy Crush Saga might just keep you from going crazy.