My name is Fabien, and I’ll be 33 next month. This is the third consecutive year that I’ve been homeless. I became homeless because I started drinking and sliding downwards. I started not paying my rent and so on. Suddenly, I got excited from my home, and I started drinking more and more until, a year ago, I went to see my mother. I saw pictures of my father when he was younger. Alcohol killed my father, and my mother told me, “If you want to end up like him, you’re on the right track.” I stopped drinking overnight.
Today, I’m keeping up my efforts and hope to have some shelter before winter. My social worker told me that I have a good chance of spending a fourth winter outside. I really hope I can get a job so that won’t be the case. You can find me at the No. 2 exit of the Bastille metro daily.