Creating lasting Impact

Family homelessness is a critical and complex issue, with families and children being the fastest-growing population experiencing homelessness in Canada. In Calgary, the 2023 Point-in-Time (PiT) Count by the Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF) estimated approximately 3,000 individuals in families experiencing homelessness, representing 20% of the city’s total homeless population. The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (COH) reports that children under 18 make up over 60% of those affected. It is estimated that an average of 200 families experience homelessness on any given night in Calgary.

The economic impact is substantial, with the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy estimating that costs related to emergency shelter use, healthcare, and social services for homeless families exceed $100 million annually. The problem is exacerbated by rising living costs, a shortage of affordable housing, and systemic barriers, disproportionately affecting Indigenous families and newcomers to Canada.

Addressing family homelessness is crucial for the well-being of vulnerable families and the broader social and economic health of Calgary. Children in these situations face significant emotional, physical, and educational challenges due to unstable housing. Often linked to poverty, family homelessness in Calgary results from living paycheck to paycheck, where unexpected expenses, job loss, illness, or domestic violence can lead to housing instability. These families face further challenges, including poor physical and mental health, limited educational and employment opportunities, and an increased risk of involvement with the child welfare system.

A stable and secure home is crucial for families to succeed and thrive. We follow a housing-first philosophy where our top priority is to assist families in retaining their current homes whenever possible. If a family needs housing, our dedicated team works diligently to find them a suitable home as soon as possible. Our emergency shelter is a temporary solution, accommodating families in need until a more permanent solution is found.

We provide a comprehensive array of programs along the housing continuum to meet families at their current housing stage and offer tailored support and case management to address their individual needs and set them up for long-term success. Our team collaborates with partner agencies to provide coordinated and holistic support to families’ mental, physical and social well-being.

We strive to better understand the needs of families who seek our help by collecting meaningful data, sharing insights with our funding partners, and advocating for improved services and policy solutions. Through advocacy and communication efforts, we aim to raise awareness about the issue of homelessness and reduce stigma, ultimately working towards creating a brighter future for families in need.

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Inn from the Cold has positively impacted the lives of over 9,000 families facing a housing crisis since 2008. We measure success by the number of families and children who have become stronger, more resilient, and are on their way to achieving housing independence. Our programs are designed to address housing needs comprehensively while promoting mental, physical and social well-being, improving self-esteem and family stability, and empowering families to build resiliency.

Through Inn from the Cold’s four key services and supports, positive outcomes for families are created in five domains:

• Safety & Stability: Inn from the Cold seeks to increase the safety and stability within families by providing direct safety- and stability-enhancing services, programming, and supports (e.g. shelter services, affordable housing options, support for maintaining housing in the community).
• Health & Wellbeing: Inn from the Cold uses a trauma-informed approach and provides direct wellness supports to families.  By enabling families to transition away from instability and experiences of homelessness towards long-term housing, positive changes in wellbeing for all family members are supported (mental, emotional, physical, spiritual).
• Connection & Culture: Inn from the Cold enables families to build community and connections that can help them thrive in the long-term.  This includes connection to culture, which can increase resilience and decrease the potential negative impact of life’s uncertainties.
• Empowerment & Independence: Inn from the Cold ultimately supports families in building on their strengths to move forward independently with self-empowerment and resilience. This includes supporting families in building key skills that can enable stability, safety, and resilience in the longer-term (e.g. career planning, connection to education, tenancy skills, etc.)
• Child, Youth & Family Resilience: The supports provided by the Inn intentionally enhance family resilience and create positive impacts and growth for children and youth, enabling opportunities to engage in education and achieve their own developmental potential. Supports includes direct services, programs, and referrals aimed at building different components of resiliency.

Our Outcomes

In 2023/2024, Inn from the Cold redeveloped our Evaluation Framework for our programs and introduced the ‘Family INNsights survey.’ This survey is administered at Intake, Exit, and includes a new follow-up component. The survey measures a family’s progress across our five outcome domains. Launched in March 2024, we do not yet have significant results from our intake and exit data for this year.

Prior to the INNsights survey, we collected feedback from families two weeks into receiving support and at program exit. The results were as follows:

• 95% of families felt safe while accessing support from The Inn.
• 97% of families were satisfied with the support received from The Inn.
• 96% of families felt The Inn provided appropriate support for their children’s needs.
• 97% of families were satisfied with the assistance they received in finding safe, appropriate, and affordable housing.
• 100% of families said The Inn met their health and wellness needs.
• 95% of families agreed that The Inn provided appropriate health and wellness resources and supports.
• 90% of families reported decreased stress levels after accessing support from The Inn.

We look forward to sharing the results of our INNsights surveys at Intake and Exit in the future, highlighting the progress of families as they transition into housing independence.

Long-term Impact

The new ‘Family INNsights survey’ at follow-up was launched in March 2024. The follow-up survey to measure the long-term impact is administered at 1, 4, 8, and 12 months after receiving services. By the end of the fiscal year (2023/2024), we surveyed 19 families, while the survey is new, the feedback received to date has been positive:

• 91% felt safe where they were living.
• 92% reported having the shelter, food, clothing, and other daily essentials they need.
• 92% reported having connections to necessary services, supports, and resources.
• 88% felt a strong connection to their culture and/or community.
• 92% had goals and ideas on how to achieve them.
• 92% felt confident in their ability to navigate life’s challenges.
• 88% reported that their children had connections to helpful programs, activities, and services.
• 95% were still stably housed.
• 27% reported an increase in income since working with Inn from the Cold.

When asked to reflect on their experience with Inn from the Cold and rate it out of 5, the average response was 4.74. Additionally, when asked how hopeful they felt on a scale of 1 to 5, the average response was 4.11.

The need for providing support to families in crisis is greater in Calgary than elsewhere in the province for the following reasons:

• Calgary has more than 50 per cent of Alberta’s visible homeless population.
• The Calgary region has been experiencing ongoing economic challenges due to fluctuating energy sector recessions, lack of economic diversification and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Based on historical recessions in Canada, Calgary can expect a lag effect on the rate of homelessness, leading to a protracted demand for housing and social services support.
• Rates of unemployment and eviction continue to be higher than the national average.
• The city also has a significant shortage of available affordable housing units, and for families with more than two children, the shortage is especially acute.