This work deals with the constitution of the current Alto da Colina neighbourhood in the city of Patos de Minas, MG, the struggle of residents to find decent housing due to the constant flooding that occurred in the Vila Operária neighbourhood. The research focused on oral testimonies, newspapers and other documentation. It highlighted the trajectories of these residents who were transferred to other locations far from the Paranaíba River, which for many years left so many abandoned in the face of its flooding. Reflecting on the trajectory and experiences of these residents serves as the central axis in a work that problematises the very making of the city. As a stage for the struggle of subjects in their urban tensions, the interests and struggles present in their daily lives are historically constructed in the multiplicity and diversity of subjects.