Abstract
This research highlights housing as one of the dimensions of the lives of individuals who experience severe psychological suffering, which reverberates in their care and unique therapeutic plan. This paper aims to grasp the Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS) users’ meanings of their experiences of living in Santos (SP), Brazil. This qualitative research was conducted with users of different services through semi-structured interviews submitted to the thematic content analysis. This study identified how the conception of housing relates to protection, individuality, and affective memories that corroborate the construction of an expanded concrete life regarding living in freedom in the city, presenting plural housing located in different territories. Taking ownership of spaces reveals the possibilities and challenges inherent to social exchanges and daily experiences. Being and living in a house means having access to material and subjective goods, besides assuring care in freedom. However, there are still limitations in the effective exercise of social participation.
Key words:
Mental health; Housing; House; Personal autonomy