A collective effort to tackle homelessness in Calgary
On any given night in Calgary, nearly 3,000 people experience homelessness. These are adults, youth and families — all facing homelessness, not by choice, but by different circumstances that have led them to where they are today.
While many cities around the world are dealing with homelessness, Calgary is a leader in taking a system-wide approach to tackling the issue. As one of the first cities in Canada to start working on addressing the issue of homelessness, governments, agencies and the community are working together to provide support and planning to ensure everyone has a safe and secure place to call home.
Part of the approach is educating the wider community about common myths related to homelessness. There is a misconception that those who are homeless have made a choice, or they simply just need to find a job. Often people associate homeless people as criminals or that they all are dealing with substance use.
In reality, many reasons people end up homeless are beyond their control. They can’t afford housing, there aren’t system supports to help them after leaving the hospital, or simply the state of the economy. When it comes to substance use, research shows that only 38% of people use alcohol and even fewer are on other drugs.
There is a lack of affordable housing in Calgary, with the non-market supply sitting at 3.6 per cent compared to the national average of six per cent. Which means our vulnerable community members have a harder time finding a safe place to live than those in other cities.
An integrated, recovery-oriented approach
An approach that started in the 1990s, “Housing First” is a concept to support ending homelessness that is built around getting people into housing and then providing additional care and support. The research shows that if people have a roof over their heads first, they have a stronger foundation for moving forward and tackling other challenges. Once they are in a home, it becomes easier to explore health care treatment options, education, employment and more.
We want to build resilience for our vulnerable community members in all areas of their life. So they have mental and physical care, a community support network, and everything they need to move forward on their journey.
With a variety of housing programs, CUPS is one of several agencies working closely with the Calgary Homeless Foundation. The homelessness issue is complex and multifaceted and connects right into the CUPS mandate to provide integrated care. Let’s support clients getting housing first, and then explore the other areas of support.
“Clients that are referred to Housing usually don’t have any connection to support,” explains Ina Biriucova, Senior Manager at CUPS. “They don’t have any natural supports, like friends or family, often have health and mental health issues, no income and no identification.”
Tackling homelessness is more than simply getting people set up with a roof over their heads. It’s about ensuring someone is connected with all of those different social supports, that they have an income, ID, and they can maintain the housing. These long-term steps help set up individuals, couples and families on the right path for the future, in a home that’s their own.
At CUPS, housing is addressed through three unique programs.
The Graduated Rent Subsidy Program provides ongoing financial aid for people who are struggling to make their rent. The focus is on providing housing stability and working with those in search of a permanent solution to affordable housing challenges.
CUPS Key Case Managers also support up to 120 adults who have experienced chronic or episodic homelessness. They work to get those individuals or families access to permanent housing, financial support, develop individual support plans, and assist in building social and community connections — all with the goal of increasing independence.
CUPS also has a Crisis Intervention Fund, which offers one-time financial aid to cover costing costs including a damage deposit, first month’s rent, utility disconnection or eviction notices.
The right home matters
Finding the right home for each person or family is just as important as finding just any house.
It’s important clients feel safe in the home they choose to live in and the surrounding community and CUPS works with them to find the right fit.
“Some people don’t want to be associated with downtown,” explains Biriucova. “The trauma from spending a lot of years in shelters downtown leaves an unhealthy association. Others don’t want to live near past connections who have had a negative impact on their lives.”
Success at CUPS is having the client actively engaged in the housing process, even if it takes a few tries to get it right. Every quarter, approximately 20 individuals or families are re-housed in an effort to find a better fit. Finding the right fit is helping with the success rate. In the last year, 98 per cent of clients remained housed consecutively for a minimum of six months (youth) or nine months (adults/families).
The house is the first piece in a large puzzle of ending homelessness in Calgary. As we work to build resilience in our vulnerable community members, the home, health, income and identification all come to play and CUPS is proud to support each and every person who comes through the door looking for help.