It is estimated that nearly half of all Americans are just one financial disaster away from homelessness. Depressing statistics to be sure; there are few situations that seem more hopeless than not having a place to live.

However, there are a surprising number of famous people who lived through just this situation and not only bounced back, but did so in a big way. Here are a few rags-to-riches stories in our community that you may not have known about.

Tyler Perry

Born in 1969 in New Orleans, Tyler Perry escaped an abusive household and moved to Atlanta to pursue his dreams of becoming a writer. However, he soon found out how difficult pursuing your art can be without a support system, and even ended up living in his car. He remained there, until his play I Know I’ve Been Changed, finally took off.