How does a person end up living on the street? It may seem that people who are drug addicted, who have no high-school education, who are bipolar or who suffer from schizophrenia or some other mental illness, or people who can't sustain their focus in order to complete a job, are the most likely candidates to end up without a home.
But Fathom Events and Rough Diamond Productions' new film No Address, in theaters on Feb. 28, reveals a different perspective. Homelessness, the film shows us, could happen to anyone.
The Real Crisis of Homelessness in America
In fact, a federally required tally of homeless people conducted in January 2024 found that in Los Angeles County, nearly 76,000 homeless people lived in encampments and on the streets. Across America, the number of homeless people surged in 2024 to more than 771,000.
No Address, starring William (Billy) Baldwin, Xander Berkeley and Beverly D'Angelo, exposes the very real problem of homeless in America, and urges viewers to help wherever possible.
The film company has promised to donate 50% of the net proceeds of their film to homeless shelters and nonprofit organizations which serve those on the streets.
Here's how Fathom describes the film at the official website:
Inspired by true events, NO ADDRESS follows the harrowing journey of Lauren, a young woman pushed onto the streets and forced to survive against all odds. Alongside a makeshift family of outcasts—each with their own haunting story of struggle and loss—Lauren discovers that home is not just a place, but the people who refuse to let you fall.
Featuring powerhouse performances from Lucas Jade Zumann, Beverly D’Angelo, Isabella Ferreira, William Baldwin, Xander Berkeley, Ty Pennington, Kristannna Loken, Patricia Velasquez, and GRAMMY® Award-winning Singer/Songwriter & actress, Ashanti, NO ADDRESS is a gripping journey of living without walls and rising above them.
An Actor Reflects on His Own Commitment
Baldwin talked recently about the film, and about his own commitment to fighting the scourge of homelessness.
“I don't live in LA,” Baldwin said, “but I've seen the homeless problem there for decades. I have children who attend university in downtown L.A. Two blocks in one direction is the Staples Center, and a block and a half the other way is Skid Row.
"So my kids have been around the homeless for a couple of years, and I've been around, as well. I've seen the change in the past couple of years, largely because of the COVID pandemic. The numbers of homeless have gone through the roof.”
Baldwin reported that in California's capital city of Sacramento, there is a seven-mile-long homeless encampment.
“And in Santa Barbara, where I live,” he added, “sometimes you get off the freeway at an exit ramp, and you drive up past an underpass, and you see something there. It's someone living in the underpass. That's just normal for our area.”
Billy Baldwin actually has had years of experience with the problem of homelessness, dating back to the 1980s and early '90s.
At that time, he was involved with HELP USA, a nonprofit founded by Maria Cuomo Cole, daughter of former NY Mayor Mario Cuomo and wife of designer Kenneth Cole.
In the mid-'90s, Baldwin focused on his career and withdrew from active participation in the organization; but No Address has effectively revitalized his interest in helping the homeless.
“I was sort of on sabbatical,” Baldwin said. “I said, 'Don't call me -– I'll call you!' And this movie sort of pulled me back in.”
The Value of Research
Asked what he liked about the film, Baldwin smiled. “Well, I love acting,” he said, “but my favorite part of it was probably the preparation.”
Prepping for the film, learning about the homelessness crisis, the team traveled to 20 cities in 18 different states. They talked to government officials at the federal, state and local level about homelessness. They listened to and learned from corporations, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations that serve the itinerant population.
Baldwin entered a lot of city gates, Army facilities, and shelters.
“It was educating,” he said. “Educating, but heartbreaking.”
“I remember one woman in particular,” Baldwin recalled. “I said to her, 'Well, let's sit down – let's talk.' And she started to cry, when I spoke to her. I didn't want to ask 'What's wrong?' She was homeless, and she told me about her journey.”
The woman was crying because her experience was that no one ever looked her in the eye, no one ever asked how she was doing, or how she ended up there.
When people come to her encampment, offering a walk-through to the media, they are usually there just for a photo shoot; but this, she said, was one of the only times that people had cared enough to stop and talk with her.
Baldwin, concerned for that homeless woman and for other lonely people who have fallen on hard times, offered advice to those who will watch No Address.
“You can make a huge difference,” he said, "If you're walking down the street, don't put your head down and pretend you're talking on your phone! Look them in the eye, ask 'How are you doing?' Say 'Have a good weekend,' say 'Bless you!'
"A lot of people put their heads down because they're afraid the homeless person will ask if they have an extra dollar. They're going to ask that anyway. In my case, I don't have a dollar; I only have my credit card. But I can ask them if I can do something different – 'Can I get you a cup of coffee?'"
Baldwin wanted to remind moviegoers to smile at the homeless people they encounter as they go about their day.
“They just want to be seen, they just want to be heard. They don't want to be treated like they are not there.”
The Confluence of Faith and Service to the Community
Is Baldwin's commitment to serving the indigent inspired by faith? Baldwin's wife, singer Chynna Phillips, is a Christian and is deeply committed to her faith; but Baldwin pointed to the differences between them.
“My faith journey is a little bit different,” he said. “That is what makes our relationship unusual.”
He went on to compare their relationship to notable Hollywood stories in which a couple were very different from one another, yet they found love together
“We're very Desi and Lucy, we're Oscar and Felix. We are very Archie and Edith. We are very Green Acres!”
Chynna, once a nonbeliever whose life was out of control, had a strong faith experience and devoted her life to serving Jesus.
Meanwhile Baldwin, while he was supportive of Chynna's faith, did not fully share it.
“My faith journey is a little different,” he explained. “To me, to live a life by the teachings and to be of service, to be on the ground rolling up your sleeves, getting your hands dirty. ... For me, my faith is my service; and my faith is leading a life that is to help the people who are poor or underserved or marginalized.”
Part of Baldwin's commitment is his involvement in the movie No Address. He hopes many will come to see the film when it opens on February 28, and that the characters' emotional exchanges will inspire viewers to reach out to the homeless in their own communities.
Image: Fathom Events
Kathy Schiffer writes regularly for the National Catholic Register and Catholic World Report, and for other Catholic publications, including Evangelization and Culture, Crisis Magazine, Aleteia, Zenit, the Michigan Catholic, and Legatus Magazine. She’s worked for Catholic and other Christian ministries since 1988, as radio producer, director of special events, and media-relations coordinator.
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