ABSTRACT This paper contributes to research on the migration studies and homelessness, bringing to the fore the severe forms of deprivation among homeless European Union (EU) citizens. Drawing on 30 in-depth interviews with homeless Romanians in the city of Madrid and an extensive ethnographic observation study, the paper places the homeless themselves at the core of the analysis, highlighting their precarious ways of life as they attempt to access their right to housing as homeless European citizens. In aiming to advance new theoretical perspectives, I emphasize notions of resistance against surveillance and active engagement as forms of agency, in the search for solidarity and access to housing assistance. The conclusions highlight that the practices and feelings of the people affected could harmoniously intersect with the attention to mobility in poor urban spaces.