Home for vulnerable, impoverished women officially opens on bittersweet note
Celebrations to mark the opening of a multi-unit home for homeless, substance-addicted women were marred by the death of one of its tenants.
The woman’s death Wednesday night points to the realities of substance abuse, mental health and poverty issues that the new $4.7-million building aims to address, said Kathy Christiansen, executive director of the Alpha House Society, which operates the Albert Park residence.
“We needed to honour the women in the building who cared about her,” said Christiansen, referring to a cancelled press event.
“She passed away in a place where people knew her name and cared about her.”
The modern, gleaming threestorey building erected through the work of the RESOLVE campaign has been home to 24 women since early autumn.
Caseworkers are on hand for the residents of the permanent supportive housing site to provide withdrawal treatment, cultural outreach and other supports to help the women gain independence.
Its residents are considered among the most vulnerable of Alpha House’s female clients, which make up 20 per cent of the agency’s caseload, said Christiansen.
“There are not as many homeless women and they’re not as visible on the street as the men, and they develop the psychological and medical impacts more quickly than men,” said Christiansen, adding many of them come from backgrounds of domestic abuse.
The home uses a housing first model that’s devoid of substanceabuse criteria, she said.
“There’s no prerequisite … meeting basic needs and having a safe place to go enables them to be ready to address some of the challenges that are a big part of their history,” said Christiansen.
And providing the women such attractive surroundings show they are valued and deserving, she said.
The home’s presence in the southeast Albert Park neighbourhood was largely free of some of the rejection social agencies have encountered in other Calgary neighbourhoods.
Local residents have brought gifts, including food, to the building, which was also spared some of the zoning hurdles other social facilities have faced, said Christiansen.
“I’m actually quite touched … we envision they’ll become part of the community through having a home for the first time in a long time,” she said.
Funding for the effort was provided by the province, which kicked in $1.6 million through individual and corporate donations.
Christiansen said Alpha House, which has operated since 1981, could open similar residences “if we see gaps in the service delivery.”
The RESOLVE Campaign is a coalition of social groups and government seeking to provide housing for homeless Calgarians.