The mobile phone is considered the most rapidly adopted technology in history. But does that hold true among the homeless community as well? In this paper, we discuss the perceptions surrounding mobile phone use among the homeless adult population. We conducted a qualitative study of the homeless community residing in transitional housing and on the streets of Downtown San Diego. These findings revolve around the unique needs and uses that arise from the context of homelessness and we suggest this be taken into account when designing mobile systems for this community.