Yes, its important to remember we can sometimes find a good friend when we open our homes up. Years ago, we let a mother and her two kids, ages 4 and 14 (from California) live in our garage apt. free. She was a career Air Force vet, with a sad spousal issue - very smart and she lived there for about 6 months. She was able to buy a home on a VA loan and now is so very happy. She's become like my "soul daughter relation". Her youngest, now 11, thinks of us as grandma and grandpa. They come for Thanksgiving & Christmas and other special times throughout the year and we email about every day.
You never know, just need to be "prudent" about the whole thing, and go with your gut, too.