José Maria
Four years living on the street

“I’ve lived in a hostel, in a rented room, and in a flat with other people. For six months now I’ve been living alone in a 25 square metre flat. I’m very comfortable there as I’ve made it my own space.

I’d been waiting for three years to be able to live alone. Now I have more freedom, more privacy. I come and go whenever I want, I stay out of trouble, and I get on well with my neighbours. I organize things the way I like them, I clean, I go shopping and cook at home, and on Sunday afternoons if I don’t feel like going anywhere, I stay in and read.

I have a strong personality and so I like to live alone. Having friends and living together are not the same things. Once a week someone comes from Arrels to check that everything is going well and once a month I pay what I owe. I lead a normal life.”