Calgary Homeless Foundation

On June 9th, we brought partners together for our Mid-Year Program Review (MPR) Community Conversation.

MPRs allow us to connect with our funded programs to understand what’s working, what’s changing, and where challenges remain. After taking time to synthesize those conversations, we had the opportunity to share what we have learned so far, celebrate the successes, and work with front line agencies to stay responsive to emerging trends and evolving needs in the homelessness response system.

This is how we learn and improve together - through shared reflection, continuous improvement, and collaborative problem solving. We are grateful to the attendees from across the sector for their openness, insight, and engagement. We look forward to an impactful year ahead.

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.

Today, CHF was proud to attend the grand opening of the Whitehorn Family Housing project, a new housing development creating 52 affordable townhomes for families in Calgary.

With a focus on Indigenous and newcomer families, the Whitehorn Family Housing project reflects the importance of culturally appropriate supports alongside stable housing. Partnerships like this help ensure families have the foundation they need to thrive.

This project is an important example of all three orders of government and community partners working together to support families in Calgary on their journey to stable housing — offering not just homes, but community, connection, and opportunity.

We’re grateful to have supported the partnership between Miskanawah and Inn from the Cold, and look forward to continued collaboration to strengthen coordinated access for families who need it most.

CHF was honoured to attend Elizabeth Fry’s naming ceremony at Nose Hill — an important milestone in their journey.

While the new name will be shared this fall, we celebrate the meaning behind it: a reflection of the courage, resilience, and strength of the women they serve.

Congratulations to Katelyn Lucas and the entire Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary team on this thoughtful and meaningful process.

After an eventful two days, the 9th Annual Data That Makes a Difference Conference has come to an end!

A huge thank you to our brilliant presenters who sparked meaningful conversations and to our engaged audience who brought energy, curiosity, and insight to every session. 📊💡

We are grateful to our partners at the School of Public Policy - University of Calgary and Dr. Ron Kneebone for their support in making this event possible.

From insightful presentations to the collaborative breakout sessions, DTMAD 2026 indeed showed the power of data to drive real change in the homeless-serving sector.

We will see you next year!

The 9th Annual Data That Makes a Difference Conference kicked off today and what a powerful start we’ve had!

We heard firsthand from frontline organizations and researchers who are using data, lived experience, and innovation to drive real change. The insights shared today are already shaping how we think about making a meaningful impact for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Swipe through to explore some of the key insights shared so far.
The conference continues tomorrow and we are excited for what’s ahead.

It was great to tour Fresh Start's Recovery Oriented Housing last week in celebration of an important milestone alongside some wonderful partners. Walking through the facility and learning what has been accomplished in the last two years was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when commitment and collaboration come together with a clear purpose.

In addition to ensuring people are supported in their recovery journeys, the program supports them to build connections and stability. Being there reinforced something we know to be true: when we invest in people and in approaches grounded in dignity and long-term support, the outcomes are transformative.

We are incredibly proud of the role Calgary Homeless Foundation, and our CEO, Patricia Jones, played in helping bring this vision to life, and we are grateful to the many partners and teams who continue to strengthen and evolve this work. This includes Bruce Holstead, Executive Director of Fresh Start Recovery; Brennan Romanovitch, Director of Operations at Fresh Start Recovery; R-Jay Melnichuk, Chief of Staff with the Ministry of Mental Health & Addiction (Government of Alberta); and Matthew Macdonald from the CHF Board of Directors.

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On May 6th, we were honoured to join the Porsche Club of America – Wild Rose Region at their meeting, where they presented Calgary Homeless Foundation with a generous $12,000 donation raised through their Blast Off to the Rockies 2026 fundraiser.

Our President & CEO, Patricia Jones, was grateful for the opportunity to attend, accept the cheque, and share more about CHF’s work guiding the fight against homelessness in Calgary. The thoughtful questions and genuine interest from club members made it clear how deeply this community cares about creating lasting change.

This incredible support will contribute to CHF’s cause to ensure homelessness in Calgary is rare, brief, and non‑recurring, strengthening outreach and the supports people experiencing homelessness need.

Thank you to everyone involved for your generosity, hospitality, and belief in a city where everyone has a place to call home.

On Friday 8 May, we joined our partner, Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary (AFCC) at the 3rd Annual MMEIP Red Dress Powwow. Together in community, we paid tribute to Murdered Missing and Exploited Indigenous Peoples. The event presented an important opportunity to share space and acknowledge the losses of the ongoing crisis but also celebrate resilience.

We are grateful to have stood alongside community members, leaders, and partners, including the Minister of Indigenous Relations and the Mayor, in support of this important event. Thank you to Shane Gauthier and his incredible team at AFCC for bringing community together in celebration of healing, connection, and cultural traditions.

We are incredibly grateful to Sponsor Energy Inc. for backing Calgary Homeless Foundation again this year.

With $50 donated for every new Sponsor Energy customer, this campaign proves that small actions can create meaningful local impact. We are thankful to be a recipient of this generosity, and we steward every dollar entrusted to us with care, ensuring it is invested directly into our community where it can have the greatest impact.

You can also support our cause to ensure homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring with a donation: https://www.calgaryhomeless.com/donate/