A previous version of this story referred to the Calgary Homeless Foundation’s count as a joint study, which we have corrected.
With Calgary retaining the highest unemployment rate in Canada this year, the Government of Alberta and several organizations came together Friday to re-launch the 2011 Calgary Plan to
Prevent and End Youth Homelessness.
The Government of Alberta, The Calgary Foundation, Calgary Homeless Foundation and the United Way Calgary and Area, Family and Community Support Services are part of the initiative to refresh the plan based on evidence and evaluation. It’s launched under the I Heart Home Campaign.
The four priorities in the plan are prevention, leadership and engagement, systems and housing.
Calgary-McCall MLA Irfan Sabir said that there is a push to have these priorities taken care of and for the province to provide assistance.
“By March 6, 2018 they will have some sort of collaborative partnership in place. But from the province’s standpoint, we are a willing partner and willing to collaborate and work with our community partners to make sure that youth have the support they need,” Sabir said.
According to the most recent count conducted by the Calgary Homeless Foundation, youth homelessness jumped from eight per cent to 12 per cent of all people counted as homeless in Calgary from 2014 to 2016.
Officials said this plan provides a good framework for a collaborative effort to end youth homelessness.
Ange Neil, a former homeless youth, is excited about the initiative and believes that there is a real need for community engagement.
Neil is hopeful and excited for the inclusion of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, questioning and 2-spirited (LGBTQ2S) and Indigenous communities, which will be prioritized and focused on in this initiative. Neil hopes that this reduces some of the marginalization that members of these communities face daily.
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