CUTS HITTING STREETS
Chelsey Cascadden, left, and Jacqueline Jerran help a homeless person outside Alpha House on Thursday. Due to a $3.2-million provincial budget cut, the Calgary Homeless Foundation is struggling to fund its much-needed outreach programs.
Those who lend a helping hand to the homeless won’t be able to reach as far due to budget cuts by the provincial government.
The Calgary Homeless Foundation has spent the past month readjusting its budget after being told about a temporary $3.2-million cut to funding from the provincial government. The eight per cent gap in funds will require the foundation to withdraw services from the homeless serving system of care, directly reducing mental-health, housing and addictions support.
“In my heart, it means the vulnerable have less again,” said Diana Krecsy, CEO of Calgary Homeless Foundation. “This is as tight as this belt goes now ... There’s always a ricochet impact when you take away money to take away services.”
When adjusting to the new budget, the priority was to ensure the cuts did not cause homelessness, keeping the system as stable and responsive as possible. It resulted in reductions to four system-ofcare programs.
One of the programs taking a big hit is the Downtown Outreach Addictions Program (DOAP) run by the Alpha House Society. The Calgary Homeless Foundation provides significant funding to the DOAP team, which is used to employ multiple teams to aid homeless people who are intoxicated or in need of a trip to a shelter or safe zone.
Kathy Christiansen, executive director of Alpha House Society, said DOAP is needed now more than ever with a drug epidemic in the city and colder months approaching. The organization is determined to find the necessary funding elsewhere to maintain the same level of care.
“A lot of people have the DOAP team’s number in their phone and they’ll call the DOAP team because it’s a more compassionate response, it’s a friendlier and more appropriate response,” said Christiansen.
“It’s become not only important for vulnerable people but it’s an important service within the city.”
The other three programs being reduced affect housing, healthcare and mental-health support, including a program that provides necessary short-term assistance to families, preventing increased homelessness.
“All four of these programs add value to the system of care. But the reality is, you can’t fund what you don’t have,” said Krecsy.
Krecsy said the government said the cuts are temporary because of the interim budget. Her understanding is the UCP government will look at replacing the reduction and potentially expand funding when they approve an official budget.