Calgary’s coordinated winter response for people experiencing homelessness has been activated despite the recent warming trend.
The Coordinated Community Extreme Weather Response, a partnership between the city and Calgary Homeless Foundation, was launched on Dec. 1 to help Calgarians experiencing homelessness find shelter during the colder months.
The effort between several community services providers include daytime services, warming stations and overnight shelters.
This year’s response includes more than 19 warming spaces across the city, including a space for people and their pets.
Parachutes for Pets has opened its doors as a warming station for the first time this year, with pets seen by many as a barrier to accessing shelter.
“There are so many unhoused folks and their pets who throughout the winter, especially when we’re seeing those minus 30 and minus 40 days, have nowhere to go,” Parachutes for Pets social worker Hilary Jahelka told Global News. “They’re either staying on the streets and them and their pets are cold, or often we’ll see people doing everything they can to keep their pets warm and then they’re suffering themselves.”
According to Jahelka, the space has already had visitors since it opened last week, with the expectation that more will come when temperatures drop.
People who use the space will be connected with social services and any other needs they may have.
“We make sure they have food, water, blankets, boots, winter supplies, all of those things so that when they head back out they’re a little bit warmer,” Jahelka said. “If they have pets, we’ll meet those pet needs as well.”
Among the daytime services available is the mobile warming station, operated by the Salvation Army.
The mobile warming location sets up at two locations, typically LRT stations, with food, hot drinks and transportation to shelter between noon and 6 p.m. every day.
The City of Calgary is also operating emergency shelter shuttle services from LRT stations to both the Drop-In Centre and Alpha House daily between 10 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Ward 11 Coun. Kourtney Penner said it’s important for the winter response to begin despite temperatures being warmer than normal.
“We know trust is key to seeking help, so the more often and more frequent we’re able to be out in the community and supporting is critical,” Penner told Global News.
There were at least two incidents involving people experiencing homelessness Monday: a fire that claimed the lives of three people in a shed outside a northwest Calgary hardware store, and a fire under a set of bleachers in the northeast community of Rundle that sent one person to hospital. Officials told Global News it’s believed the person was attempting to cook food at the time of the fire.
Penner said the incidents highlight the risks to the most vulnerable in Calgary, and the level of need on city streets.
“We have a long way to go in the kinds of supports we offer and the kinds of services we’re offering, and also there are people in great need,” Penner said.
The Coordinated Community Extreme Weather Response is led by the Calgary Homeless Foundation, which received $2.8 million over the next four years by Calgary city council in 2022 to operate the program.
According to city officials, the “bulk” of city funding will be spent on increasing accessible warming spaces by “building capacity with existing and well-established spaces within the homeless serving system of care,” while also creating “new partnerships through the addition of new spaces.”
Calgarians are encouraged to step up if they see somebody in need by calling the HELP (Human-centered Engagement Liaison and Partnership) Team at 403-998-7388.