New Research Paper provides critical view into homelessness

Congratulations to Ron Kneebone, Meaghan Bell, Nicole Jackson and Ali Jadidzadeh on the release of the research paper, Who are the Homeless? Numbers, trends, characteristics of those without homes in Calgary. University of Calgary, The School of Public Policy SPP research Papers. Volume 8. Issue 11. March 2015

The data contained in the report informed Calgary’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness and the 14 actions identified as instrumental to ending homelessness in Calgary.

To download the Research Paper, click HERE.

To download a copy of Ron Kneebone’s presentation at the media conference, click HERE.

For Immediate Release

The School of Public Policy releases surprise findings on homeless: Critical for understanding public policies needed to resolve Issue

 Calgary – In 2008, Calgary was the first city in Canada to institute a 10-year plan to end homelessness. The plan was introduced in part due to the steady and rapid growth in homelessness in the city since 1992. Since 2008 growth in the number of homeless people has stopped despite a rapidly growing city. The number of people enumerated as homeless by point-in-time counts has fallen from 304 persons per 100,000 population to 256 persons per 100,000 population in 2014, a drop of more than 15 per cent.

According to a report released today by The School of Public Policy and author Ron Kneebone, the report looks beyond simple counts of the number of homeless people and examines how people who are homeless use emergency shelters. Tracking shelter use over a five year period by nearly 33,000 individuals, discovered that contrary to what might be thought to be true, the great majority (86%) of people who use emergency shelters in Calgary do so very infrequently and for only short periods of time. Kneebone states “only a tiny minority, just 1.6% of all shelter users, stayed in shelters for very long periods. These “chronic” users visited shelters an average of three and a half times and stayed a total of 928 days over the five years of our study, occupying one-third of shelter beds.”

Moving people who represent the 1.6% from emergency shelters into stable, supportive housing, delivers savings in the form of reduced interactions for these people with the criminal justice and health-care systems; savings that have been shown in other studies to significantly off-set the cost of supportive housing.

Planning to end homelessness has always been an ambitious goal. While the homeless serving community has made significant gains in understanding how best to solve the problem, greater effort may be required of local, provincial and federal policy makers to find ways of resolving the issue that is at the heart of Calgary’s homelessness problem; namely, the lack of affordable rental accommodations.

The paper can be downloaded HERE.

 Media Contact:

 Morten Paulsen

Morten.Paulsen2@ucalgary.ca

403.399.3377

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Arthur R. Smith Award Recipients Celebrated at luncheon in their honour.

Arthur R. Smith’s legacy was celebrated at the annual Arthur R. Smith Awards (Awards) luncheon held, Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at the MacDougall Centre, Sisika Room. The awards, which include a cash reward, were presented to a front-line employee, a front-line team and a volunteer who were nominated by peers and members of the public and adjudicated by members of the Board of Directors of CHF. The recipients exemplify excellence in providing housing with support to those at risk of or experiencing homelessness in Calgary and are made possible through the generous support of Mr. James Stanford.

The Awards, presented by Mrs. Betty Ann Smith, the wife of the late Arthur R. Smith and Diana Krecsy, President and CEO of CHF. The 2014 Award recipients for excellence in ending homelessness  are:

  • The Infinity Project Team, Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary: Outstanding Team Award. The Infinity Project Team wraps the necessary supports around youth experiencing homelessness to ensure they have access to housing with the foundational supports they need to retain it.
  • Gabriel Chen: Front-line Employee Award. A lawyer with Calgary Legal Guidance, Mr Chen has championed the case for housing stability of at-risk clients throughout the system of care including the justice system.
  • Sharon Robertson: Volunteer Award, The Alex – Pathways. For over four years, Sharon has shared her deep compassion and inspiration to support clients in the Alex’s Pathways to Housing Program.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients of the Arthur R. Smith Awards.

To read more about the awards, click HERE.

 

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Coldest Night of the Year – a walk to remember

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Written by Britany Ardelli

Have you ever felt so cold in the midst of winter your face feels frozen, like it can barely move and your legs feel like they are about to crack open? That was me at the Coldest Night of the Year Walk. This was a temporary and voluntary situation for me, but for over 3500 homeless Calgarians this can be a reoccurring feeling that they have to endure.

As I walked into EauClaire Market on Saturday, February 21st 2015 I saw people everywhere wearing matching tuques and dressed as if they were going to the ski hill.  With 400+ registered walkers to help support the Coldest Night Of the Year, I was ready to embark on a committed 5 km walk.

The walk was kicked off by the Raging Grannies singing to encourage city counsellors to vote and pass secondary suites and none other than the greatest mayor in the world, Mayor Nenshi, ensuring every volunteer and participant was thanked for our time and monetary donations.

We were then sent on our way into the cold. It’s quite ironic that it’s called The Coldest Night of the Year, because with a fresh new layer of snow, and a windy -16 degrees, it was for sure the coldest night that Calgary had seen in a few weeks.

Along the walk we had cars honking their horns in encouragement, photographers taking our pictures, and volunteers guiding our way to ensure we followed the path set out. Just over an hour later we were done and we were cold!! The thought that people stay outside all day, and even sleep in these conditions, made me so proud that I raised money and completed the walk! It was great to see the community come together to raise money and support the cause to end homelessness!

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Proceeds from the Coldest Night of the Year in Calgary will benefit Feed the Hungry and Acadia Place, a 58 unit affordable housing complex owned by the Calgary Homeless Foundation and operated by CUPS. Through the support of KAIROS, the money donated to Acadia Place will be provided to pay down the mortgage on Acadia Place through the RESOLVE Campaign, a unique collaboration of nine Partner agencies raising $120 million to build affordable and supported rental housing for 3,000 vulnerable and homeless Calgarians, .

Thank you to the Calgary organizers of Coldest Night of the Year: the Calgary Diocese and KAIROS.

 

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