Rennell looks forward to owning her own house. She thinks that the American government should provide better systems for the homeless to repair foreclosed homes for themselves or work for better residences.

Beyond food and shelter, the speakers said they yearn most for kind human interaction that can be hard to find on the street.

“Sometimes conversation is better than money, to know you’re part of the world,” Rennell said.

Their message resonated with the students in the class, who all rushed at the end of lecture to introduce themselves to the speakers.

“[Their stories] are definitely something more people need to hear,” said Andrew D. Kim ’16. “Homelessness is something we see everyday, but it’s become part of the background.”

“It was definitely the best class of the year so far,” said Sietse K. Goffard ’15. “I will never forget it.”