Calgary Homeless Foundation

The Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF) has been providing the backbone supports to end homelessness in Calgary since 1998. It has been implementing the city’s Plan to End Homelessness since 2008 by coordinating the overall homeless-serving system, providing housing, funding and supporting agencies, and conducting research..

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Why do we need these buildings?

People who have been homeless for a long time are some of Calgary’s most vulnerable citizens. They often have complex needs and require a high level of support. These are people who are stuck in homelessness and have been sleeping outside or living in emergency shelters. Serving this group means taking care of those most in need while opening up these spaces for others.

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RESOLVE Projects

• Pay off the mortgages on nine existing buildings (which allows CHF to continue to offer low rents on a sustainable basis) and construct up to 16 new apartment buildings for people who are homeless or vulnerable to homelessness
• Existing buildings are home to a total of 359 people; new buildings will be home to approximately 480
• Tenants pay rent based on their income so that it’s affordable.

Design:

• Features of the existing buildings vary; some include a resource centre, community space, and/or office space.
• Features of the new buildings may include a communal kitchen, common areas and counselling rooms.
• The buildings are purposely designed to provide ample space for private meetings and regular communal meals and social activities to promote wellbeing, community and belonging.

Support:

• For each building, CHF has a lease agreement with a partnering homeless-serving agency which operates the building and provide support to tenants.
• Many of the buildings have 24/7 on-site support.
• Support services vary at each building but may include access to health care, job training, budgeting, education supports, reconnection with family, addictions counselling, life skills training, positive community re-integration, and guest management.

*Rendering and project features are subject to change

 

“We oversee the implementation of Calgary’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness and provide housing with support to those who have been stuck in homelessness for a long time. Through RESOLVE, we can reduce inappropriate use of public systems and, most important, help an extremely vulnerable population begin to rebuild their lives.” – Diana Krecsy, President and CEO