At the October 2016 Board/CEO Connectivity Breakfast, over 60 Board Chairs and CEOs of member agencies from Calgary’s homeless-serving sector prioritized 3 Things they were committed to achieving by the end of 2018, when Calgary’s Plan to End Homelessness sunsets.
The Plan, launched in 2008, has provided a framework and focus for our efforts as a community to drive transformational change across the homeless-serving system of care, and towards ending homelessness in Calgary.
Over the past 8+ years of activating the guidelines established in the original plan and the updates from 2011 and the most recent: Calgary’s Plan to End Homelessness: People First in Housing First update of 2015, we have continually focused on creating better results for those experiencing homelessness and those working hard to alleviate its impact on peoples lives and our city.
We’ve achieved a great deal. Some highlights are:
- Over 8,000 people housed.
- The sector consistently achieves a +90% retention rate for people housed.
- People in housing access public and emergency services less often creating more efficiencies and better health and well-being outcomes across the system.
- Over 450 housing units built specifically for the sector.
- The RESOLVE Campaign continues to create pathways to housing for 3,000 Calgarians at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
- 9 agencies are collaborating with philanthropic Calgarians to raise $120 million to build housing
- Coordinated Access and Assessment provides coordinated tool for the system of care that creates ease of access to supports and housing for people entering Caglary’s homeless-serving system of care.
- The Homeless Management Information System is Canada’s most comprehensive database on homelessness.
- HMIS contains over 35,000 data entries and has been cited in over 30 research articles
- HMIS provides a deep and broad picture of homelessness in our city as well as an understanding of its contributing factors and gaps in system planning
- SORCe, initiated by Calgary Police Service, is a one stop centre for those seeking information and help to end homelessness in their lives
- 15+ agencies provide storefront access to one-stop needs assessment and supports for vulnerable Calgarians
We’ve accomplished a great deal.
Together, we can do more.
I Heart Home: 3 Things is about the ‘more’ we can do together to end homelessness in our city.
These are the 3 Things community has agreed are vital to ending homelessness.
House more People
People first in Housing First
House 10,000 people by December 31 2018 (2008 – 2016 + 8,000 housed)
Build more Futures
Build over 600 new purpose built dedicated permanent supportive housing units to the system of care by 2018. (450+ since 2008 have been built or are on track to be built)
Save more Lives
Have a high-performing system of care that is integrated with ‘big system’s to provide efficiencies and effectiveness across the sector to better serve those at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
Over the coming weeks, the I Heart Home YYC website will be updated to reflect community’s focus on its 3 Things goals and activities. Launch of the updated website is early May, 2017 — stay tuned for more info.
In the meantime, the following two videos tell more of the story. Please feel free to grab the feed and post on your own website or share via your social media.
What is Home?
Together, we can do more!
