Building Community Connections
“Being a volunteer really opened my eyes to what it’s like to give back to people. Most of my life I was a taker, never a giver. Now it’s reversed. And now I’m giving back.” - CUPS Client
Did you know there are an estimated 90,000+ households in Calgary in need of affordable housing, including those who are homeless? What’s more, decent, safe and affordable housing is one of the most important factors that affect our mental health, our connection to community and contribute to our overall resilience.
CUPS helps address these challenges through the Community Development Program (CDP), a rent-subsidized housing program funded by the Calgary Homeless Foundation and delivered through CUPS. With four apartment residences home to almost 150 households — both single adults and families — the CDP focuses on promoting housing stabilization and independent living through a community development approach.
What makes this program unique?
Each building is staffed by an on-site Community Developer, whose role is to promote housing stability and independent living.
The Community Developer provides programming, resources and referrals to help address health and social needs of clients.
The program promotes a sense of community and brings adults and families together under one of four buildings, rather than scattered sites across the city.
“Building activities help so much. Being part of them drags you out of your apartment and connects you with others” - CUPS Client
Measuring success
As part of ongoing efforts to optimize and improve our programs, CUPS recently reviewed the success of the Community Development. We’re happy to share some incredible results:
Nearly 100 per cent of clients had stable housing for at least nine months.
Clients saw significant improvements in their income and overall finances.
Clients saw significant improvements in food access, nutrition and access to healthcare support.
A significant number of clients either volunteered and/or participated in recreation and social events.
Late/non-payment of rent was minimal. Of 3,017 filed subsidies, there were only 48 instances of late/non-payment. Most were single events.
The average duration in the program is 40 months (3.3 years).
41 per cent of interactions with the Community Developer were unscheduled client drop-ins and viewed as gateways to more structured interventions/supports.
Now, CUPS is looking to offer more for clients. We hope to expand mental health services, to support internet costs and to support child care for families in these facilities. Our Community Development Programs play a critical role in developing resilience for individuals and families and help elevate our entire community. The investment is more than worth it.
Looking to help and not sure how? Consider donating to the CUPS COVID-19 Urgent Needs Fund today.
Interested in getting involved at CUPS? Click here.