Calgary unhoused most at risk in cold snap: housing agency

The frigid temperatures in Calgary are alarming affordable housing advocates, as large chunks of the unhoused population live without shelter.

Wednesday’s overnight windchill temperature is expected to be around -39 C, with Thursday morning temperatures sitting around the same.

According to the latest Point in Time Count report from the Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF), around 2,800 are experiencing homelessness, with 70 per cent of those able to get shelter.

This leaves 30 per cent, or 800 people, sleeping out in the cold.

“So, when it’s – 20 C, or – 30 C with the windchill, that’s extremely dangerous. That’s when the risk of amputations or death becomes very serious,” said Emily Campbell with Home Space Society.

She says 30 per cent of people experiencing homelessness say they can’t afford housing in Calgary.

“So not only do we have … people experiencing homelessness, but there are many households who are on the verge of homelessness,” Campbell said.

“It’s particularly dangerous when it’s this cold out, and we can’t find affordable housing for people in need.”

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According to the CHF, 1,700 people are on the waitlist for affordable housing.

Meanwhile, the City of Calgary says less than 50 per cent of Calgary communities have affordable housing.

Campbell also says Calgary has less available affordable housing than other major Canadian cities.

“We’ve got 2.6 per cent affordable housing compared to the national average of about 3.5 per cent,” she said.

Difficulties in finding shelter

Meanwhile, there are hundreds outside in the extreme weather, but the Calgary Mustard Seed says its focus is to help the homeless population outside.

“The cold does present a challenge, but it is why we’re here and why we exist,” said Clinton Siebert, the street level supervisor for the Mustard Seed.

“Our main priority is to just make sure that their immediate needs are cared for, and that they have a warm place to come into and to stay.”

He says there are numerous reasons people don’t access shelters, even in the cold.

“Sometimes it’s as simple as just … there’s a lot of rules that are followed, and maybe someone just doesn’t like having some of those constraints put on them,” Siebert said.

“For other people, it might just be as simple as they just don’t feel safe in various shelters, or maybe they’ve had a negative experience.”

He also says some people have multiple living situations to escape the cold, whether in a hotel or a person’s home that is “willing to let them sleep on the couch.”

In addition, transportation is also an issue.

“We can try and utilize services like DOPE team out of Alpha House, to try and get people connected to any kind of just a transportation means,” Siebert said.

“When we are able to as well, we do provide transit tickets and things like that.”

Rental prices soar, affordable housing needs rise

Recently, the city allocated $14.1 million towards three new affordable housing projects, some of which will be donated to different foundations in the city, which will help people pay for rent, damage deposits, and other needs.

In addition, three parcels of land will be made available to non-profits to create around 100 homes.

The program is meant to help people get their footing and access housing. For many, it will be the first time in a long time that they have a place of their own.

And while that has been received well by organizations like the CHF and United Way Calgary and Area, Campbell says it’s challenging to build affordable housing now.

“We can’t build affordable housing fast enough to meet demand. We’re only building about, you know, 300 new units per year as a city, when … there’s over 80,000 households in Calgary,” she said.

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Meanwhile, Calgary remains one of the most affordable places to live in Canada, however, rentals have shot up nearly 37 per cent from last year, according to Campbell.

The city is 26 on the national Rentals.ca list, with Vancouver at the top with $2,730 for a one-bedroom. Grande Prairie sits at the bottom at $1,013.

Calgary February rentals are an average of $1,526 for a one-bedroom apartment, below the Canadian average of $1,856.

With the rising trend in rentals nationwide, Campbell says Calgary “needs affordable housing now more than ever.”

“It’s super important that not only do we have the support of all levels of government, but also that people say yes when it comes to developing more affordable housing,” she said.

“Everyone is better off when they are provided with a home. And communities are better off when people are housed.”

-With files from Logan Stein. Chris Bowen, and Lisa Grant