A key, a house... and waffles:
the story of Mr T.

Mr. T.* lives in a park in Liège. We have been following him since 2021. He has transformed his tent camp, located in the middle of a small wooded area, into a true defensive post. Branches and pieces of wood protect him and his camp from intruders.
 

Find his rights back

Despite having the Polish nationality, he was born and raised in Belgium. He has not received social welfare benefits since 2001. His case is unique to us: he is the first “undocumented” patient we are following in Liège. We do not label him as such because of his origins, but because he is unable to prove his presence on Belgian soil, which prevents him from accessing his rights. An absurd situation. And all the more so because he has never even set foot in Poland.

What follows is a long administrative battle that eventually results in him regaining his social welfare benefits, which he will receive until June 2025. Even though there is a risk that this will not be renewed after that date, we decide, as a team, to offer him housing. We take the risk that, after June 2025, he may no longer be able to pay his rent.
 

The day of departure

January 2025: Mr. T. moves into an apartment. That day, we pick him up from his improvised tent camp and give him a moment to say goodbye. He does so in his own distinctive way.

What follows are moments of pure anxiety. Mr. T. panics at the thought of an entirely new life. But he does not give up. He takes three large bags—everything he owns after decades of living on the streets.
 

Moving in

His first reaction upon arriving at his new home is a deep sense of unworthiness: "I don’t deserve this, a garage would have been enough."

Today, he is registered at a community health centre and takes exemplary care of his home. He is probably the cleanest and most organized patient we follow—not a single speck of dust on the floor, not a single dirty cup in the sink.

Mr. T. has lost his points of reference, making it difficult for him to fully embrace having his own home. But we remain hopeful. To ensure that he could afford the rental deposit and rent, he kept all his savings in cash—a testament to his extreme diligence and reliability.

We wish Mr. T. all the best for the future. And, of course, tons of soft waffles, chocolate, and rice pudding—his favourite guilty pleasures.

Nicolas, nurse in Liège