Inn From the Cold sees increase in number of families seeking shelter
A Calgary family shelter is overcapacity, with a significantly higher number of families seeking refuge each night.
At this time last year, Inn From the Cold, at 110 11th Avenue S.E., averaged 21 families per night. But this year, numbers show a 37-per-cent rise, with 29 families being served each night. So far this year there have been more than 9,000 bed stays, a 41-per-cent increase from the beginning of last year.
Abe Brown, the executive director of Inn From the Cold, believes the numbers will continue to increase until there are more affordable housing options for families with more than one child.
“About 60 per cent of the families in Inn From the Cold are Indigenous and about 20 to 25 per cent are newcomers to Canada. Typically, the research shows these groups tend to have larger family sizes.”
Brown added that low-income families are stuck with minimal options because only 24 per cent of the affordable houses in Calgary have three or more bedrooms. Without three bedrooms, larger families are confined to limited space.
A study by the City of Calgary this month on affordable housing found Calgary has the “lowest supply of purpose-built rentals, at seven per cent less than half the average in other cities.”
The cities Calgary compared its statistics to included Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Mississauga, Ont., Winnipeg and Vancouver.
The study also found Calgary has the “lowest proportion of households living in subsidized housing,” with nearly half the average in the other cities.
Renee Lozada works with families in both of Inn From the Cold’s “Journey Houses,” which offer more permanent housing for families who pay partial rent. The rest is subsidized by the agency.
“We are reaching for independence, helping them budget, helping them get better jobs to get them to a better place, so they can afford private housing.”
Brown said when he started with Inn From the Cold in January 2017, there was a sudden decrease in numbers, which he attributes to the drop in the economy. Numbers began a slow increase since April 2017 but have reached peak heights this year.
“Folks are coming back to the city, looking for opportunity, maybe to get a job or some education, but they just can’t find any affordable housing,” said Brown.
The agency is launching its annual Claire’s Campaign, which runs until the end of May. All donations will be matched up to $400,000 by some of the shelter’s biggest supporters. The goal is to reach $800,000, which was surpassed last year, receiving more than $1 million in donations.