State of Homelessness in Calgary: 2012 Report
Description:
KEY FINDINGS
Results to date show that the 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness in Calgary (10 Year Plan) is working. Homelessness is down for the first time since 1992.
- There was an 11.4% reduction in the homeless count done in 2012, compared with the 2008 homeless count.
- There was a 24% reduction against conservative ‘business as usual’ projections for 2012.
- The rough sleeping population (those sleeping outside) is significantly smaller than previously believed.
2. We are on track with 10 Year Plan projections. We are meeting the promise of Housing First for people housed under the 10 Year Plan.
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A sample group had 92% housing retention rate after 12 months of intervention.
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Their physical and mental health conditions improved, with a 33% and 28% increase in treated physical and mental health conditions, respectively.
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Their use of public systems went down, including a reduction in hospitalizations, emergency room visits, EMS use, days in jail and interactions with police. The data suggests about a
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40% reduction for all points reported. Notably, emergency response visits and days in jail decreased by about 50%, while interactions with police were down by 60%.
3. Calgary is the epicentre of homelessness in Alberta, driven by migration, and the labour and rental market.
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Sixty-three per cent of all shelter users in Alberta are in Calgary, compared with 28% in Edmonton.
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The number of rental units in Calgary continued to decrease from 2009 to 2011.
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Calgary shelter use is much more sensitive to fluctuations in the labour market and migration.
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Edmonton’s much lower number of shelter users is correlated to the fact that Edmonton has twice the per capita rental stock compared with Calgary.
4. Emerging trends suggest family homelessness is increasingly becoming a regional rather than local phenomenon. Prevention and Housing First programs are working, but Calgary is seeing a high number of Aboriginal and immigrant families in family shelters.
5. The size of the at-risk for homelessness pool may be smaller than originally thought.
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Homelessness doesn’t happen to ‘anyone:’ it is likelier to occur when a predictable combination of risk factors is present and a number of protective factors are absent.
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The Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF) estimates the total number of households at imminent risk of homelessness is about 14,000, compared with the previous estimate that 72,000 households were at risk.
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These at risk households can be mapped and hotspot communities identified, allowing better targeting of homelessness prevention and poverty reduction efforts. Nine Calgary communities are identified as hotspots.
Read the full report (.pdf)
Related News
Homelessness in Calgary Down for the First Time in 20 Years
Type of Resource:
Report
Publication Date:
2012
Location:
Calgary, Alberta, Canada