Calgary Homeless Foundation

On June 30, CHF hosted a Communities of Practice session, bringing agency partners together to learn, collaborate, and strengthen coordinated responses to evolving community needs.

The session explored connection, and its importance in the recovery journey of program participants. The collaborative discussion on Guest Management also provided an opportunity for programs to reflect on successes, explore challenges, share learnings, and brainstorm solutions with peers.

We are grateful to Immigrant Services Calgary for sharing how their Gateway Program helps connect clients to the right supports at the right time through personalized plans and a referral-based model. We thank all attendees for their commitment to collaborating with us to ensure homelessness in Calgary is rare, brief and non-recurring.

Today, on National Indigenous Peoples Day, CHF celebrates the strength, cultures, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

As we mark the 30th anniversary of this day, we reflect on a teaching shared with us by Cree Elder Patrick Diagneault: however wild the river gets, everyone in the canoe must pick up a paddle. This teaching reminds us that meaningful change happens together.

We are grateful to work alongside Indigenous partners; including Miskanawah, the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary, G4 Stoney Nakoda Tsuut’ina Tribal Council, Aboriginal Standing Committee on Housing and Homelessness (ASCHH) and the Indigenous Community Advisory Board, who continue to guide us, challenge us, and strengthen our collective work.

Earlier today, CHF’s Patricia Jones and Bo Masterson joined Ron Kneebone from The School of Public Policy for an engaging panel discussion with the Rotary Club of Calgary, Downtown on how Rotarians can be part of the fight against homelessness.

The insightful conversation focused on the forces shaping homelessness and how we can work together to create lasting solutions. While it may sometimes feel like progress is slow, today’s discussion highlighted just how far Calgary has come:

➡️Despite a 53% increase in population since 2008, Calgary has reduced its homelessness rate by approximately 40%.

➡️In 2013, an average of 10 new individuals accessed shelter services each day; today, that number has dropped to fewer than 6, even with continued population growth.

These milestones reflect meaningful progress toward a city where homelessness is brief, rare, and non-recurring.

The panel also emphasized the importance of a proactive, data-driven approach that leverages insights from sources such as tax systems and food bank usage to better prevent and address homelessness before it becomes chronic.

It was inspiring to see so many community members engaged in this critical conversation and committed to building a better future.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and to the Rotary Club of Calgary for hosting.