Grammy Winner Ashanti Stars in ‘No Address’: A Film Highlighting America’s Homelessness Crisis

Imagine losing your home in an instant and having nowhere to go. Unfortunately, for many, this is a harsh reality. Grammy-Award winning artist Ashanti brings this struggle to the forefront in her new film, “No Address,” which shines a light on the lives of thousands of Americans experiencing homelessness.

Written and directed by veteran filmmaker Julia Verdin, the first feature film from Robert Craig Film takes a deep dive into the lives of brave individuals facing homelessness who come together with one common goal: survival.

Inspired by true, everyday events, Ashanti stars in the film as Violet, a young woman experiencing homelessness who finds herself helping others to cope. While filming, the “Foolish” singer had an eye-opening, powerful realization: this could happen to anyone, at any time.

“It’s not something anyone chooses,” she told the Buckeye Review. “You could be living your life, doing everything perfectly, but if you miss one bill, your life can spiral out of control.”

The 44-year-old continued.

“I feel like it’s really important for people to not be judgemental, to have a little bit more compassion, to have empathy because obviously no one chooses to put themselves in these circumstances,” she said while emphasizing the need for understanding.

“It’s a real thing. It’s a real, huge, global crisis.”

According to the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in January 2025, an estimated 771,000 people experienced homelessness in the United States in 2024. Data revealed that on a single night in January 2024, nearly 771,480 individuals were without a home.

The top three states with the highest homeless populations are Washington, New York, and California, where the movie takes place. Sacramento, the movie’s setting, ranks 14th on the list of major U.S. cities with the largest homeless population – 6,615 people in 2024.

Ashanti hopes movies like “No Address,” which co-stars New York Times best-selling author Ty Pennington, will heighten awareness of this growing epidemic while offering a message of hope. She wants audiences to “recognize those [who are homeless] as human beings and not dirty people that don’t want to work. When people see homeless [people], that’s what they kind of automatically think and they’re judging.”

“Hopefully, people walk away and understand to be a little bit more sympathetic, be a little more kind, a little more loving,” she shared. “You never know how a smile or a kind gesture can change someone’s whole attitude or perspective on life.”

“No Address” hits theaters nationwide on Feb. 28. Don’t miss it!

Click the link below for the full interview with the Grammy Award-winning artist Ashanti.