House gives energy and enthusiasm

Antonio went through many difficulties in life. He had a job, but he lost it due to an accident. He went through a period of deep depression and fell into the trap of gambling addiction. He lost everything and became homeless. He ended up living in a large train station where he suffered a condition of great deprivation, then was hosted in a dormitory.

Undoubtedly, a better situation than the road, but which he had to leave after a few years, with the risk of returning to a condition of perennial precariousness.

After so many difficulties, the Housing First Rome project was a real landing place for Antonio. “This apartment helped me to go back to being a whole man, with my autonomy, my freedom, my happiness. Not like before, when I was half a man … ”, he told his friend Filippo. He experienced the new accommodation as an extraordinary opportunity and actively takes care of his home, looking after it with great passion. He shares it with a companion, each has a room of their own. He has decided to devote a lot of time to others, to those who have not yet overcome the difficulties of the road. Several days a week, together with friends of the Community of Sant’Egidio, he dedicates himself to supporting the homeless.

The house gave Antonio an unexpected energy at his age. And he always welcomes visitors with great enthusiasm, because today he has so many beautiful things to tell.