Jean-Claude Munyezamu is a Rwandan Canadian who founded Umoja in 2010. Munyezamu came to Calgary in his early 20s after volunteering in refugee camps in Somalia and Sudan. He lived in Calgary Housing in Glenbrook and one morning he grabbed a soccer ball and started knocking on neighbours’ doors to get a soccer game started in the nearby green space.

That soccer seed then grew. Munyezamu started organizing soccer in the community and coaching some of the older kids who came out to play. From that small start, a single soccer ball and a green space, Munyezamu’s efforts evolved to become Umoja, an organization that runs programs that nurture leadership, learning, and belonging. These programs include soccer programs, Girls’ Leadership, Women’s Community Sewing, afterschool programs, and a food program.

Most of those programs are operated either on or close to Calgary Housing communities.

“When we work with [residents of] Calgary Housing, we meet them where they’re at,” says Megan Kimler, Youth Development and Volunteer Lead at Umoja.

They achieve this by running a culturally sensitive food program that delivers culturally-appropriate foods and staples that are otherwise not accessible to many families. The program offers doorstep delivery, so families can receive their food in a dignified manner.

“The program offers a lot of different flours and food that [families] might not be able to access from a food bank,” Kimler explains. We have dried lentils, pounded yam, cassava flour, things like that that.”

Drop-in soccer at the Marlborough community centre is one of Umoja’s most popular programs.

“We can get up to 100 kids coming to drop in every session. There’s a large number of families that live just across the street with kids, so it’s a great place for them to be because it’s so close,” Kimler says.

Youth indoor drop-in soccer at the Genesis Centre is also one of Umoja’s most highly attended programs.

“Our coaches are great at managing [the program]. A lot of the kids know our coaches and respect them,” Kimler explains.

Because the soccer programs are drop-in opportunities and summer camps, Umoja ensures that youth feel included and comfortable by removing barriers to participation.

Kimler leads the girls’ leadership program in the Calgary Housing community in Edgemont. The program empowers girls through mentorship, skills-building activities, and community engagement. The program is also expanding to Calgary Housing’s Temple location.

“There [is] a lot of richness and a lot of learning. They [are] having fun. They [haven’t] even realized they [are] learning all these new skills,” Kimler says about the leadership program activities.

Calgary Housing resident Reina was originally hired by Umoja to be a soccer coach. But her employment with the organization has since expanded. She now supports the Girls’ Leadership program and teaches sewing in the Women’s Community Sewing program. She took the initiative to support the program as she has a background in sewing. She currently runs her own clothing company.

Working for Umoja has allowed Reina to blossom and given her confidence to pursue her own entrepreneurial path.

“I felt like, before, I didn’t have a sense of community, or it was very hard to communicate with people,” she says.

Reina says she wishes that when she was growing up, she had a woman in the community to look up to. She is proud to be able to be that person to the young girls in her community.

“I like being that person that’s different,” she says.

The post Umoja Community Mosaic creates opportunities that build belonging appeared first on Calgary Housing.

On a cold Thursday afternoon, the community room in Temple fills with the sound of kids dropping backpacks, grabbing snacks and joking around as they browse through books brought in by the Calgary Public Library. What looks like an after-school snack break is something much bigger – a lifeline of support woven together by Calgary Housing and Women In Need Society (WINS), helping families steady themselves when life gets hard.

For 34 years, Women In Need Society (WINS) has been a reliable presence for women and families in Calgary, offering everything from food hampers to employment support. But at the heart of their work is something simpler – dignity, choice, and the knowledge that when women flourish, families prosper too.

“We believe that when a woman is thriving, their whole family is, and they’re the true head of household, and the glue to that family,” says Samantha Schmidt, program manager at WINS.

The organization helps women and their families in times of crisis, providing emergency food hampers, clothing and basic hygiene products like soap, shampoo and laundry detergent as well as diapers, formula and onesies for infants.  WINS runs thrift stores that help move donated goods back into the community.

WINS runs programs to help folks find jobs in retail and warehouses, helping them transition from crisis to stability. Other programs include ESL classes and digital literacy courses. What ties all of it together is a commitment to meeting people where they’re at, without judgement. Even when someone receives a voucher to shop at a WINS thrift store, Schmidt says the experience is designed so they blend in with everyday shoppers.

There are two WINS locations on Calgary Housing properties: one in Temple, and another in Erin Woods. These sites make support easy to access for residents who may be facing financial challenges, falling behind on rent, or navigating a crisis. Calgary Housing works closely with WINS to offer referrals and connect residents with the resources they need to stay housed.

One of the programs WINS runs in the community is Grab a Snack. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Kids can stop by after school for something to eat. But, Schmidt says, it has grown into something much more meaningful.

“Kids can come after school and literally grab a snack. But they are definitely invited into the space,” she says. “We do some group programming, and we really try to assess what the need is in the community.”

Every two weeks, the Calgary Public Library joins the program with its book bus, giving kids access to literacy and connection to Library resources.

Building community isn’t something that happens overnight, but Schmidt has seen this partnership’s impact firsthand. Last summer in Temple, residents came together to makeover their shared spaces. They painted murals, created community gardens, and transformed their shared space into a welcoming gathering place. WINS and Calgary Housing supported the project, but the vision, initiative, and energy came from the residents themselves.

“I think from that moment, we saw that everybody wants to connect,” Schmidt says. “They’re resolving conflict on their own, and they’re a very powerful community because they now have solid relationships.”

For WINS, client journeys often begins with basic needs: food, clothing, household essentials. But it doesn’t end there. As trust grows, so do the opportunities for stability, learning, wellness, and long-term support.

Calgary Housing and WINS share the same goal: helping individuals and families move from crisis to stability, with dignity leading the way.

The post Partner Profile – WINS supports women and their families with dignity leading the way appeared first on Calgary Housing.

Money and mental health are closely linked. People living on lower incomes face more stress and mental health challenges, and those challenges make it harder to stay financially secure. It’s a cycle that affects many Canadians.

Access to safe, affordable housing along with a range of supports is a stability measure that can help people in addressing their own mental health challenges and break the cycle of poverty.

Calgary Housing partners with several organization to help residents stay housed. Whether someone is facing financial hardship, falling behind on rent, or struggling to meet basic needs. Calgary Housing offers support, including referrals to external agencies. One of these partner organizations is Rise Calgary.

Rise Calgary was created out of a partnership between BowWest Community Resource Centre and Sunrise Community Link. The non-profit provides programs designed to support families and individuals living on lower incomes, including access to basic needs services, advocacy services, financial empowerment opportunities, and skill-building programs in parenting, employment, and everyday life.

Rise has two locations in Calgary Housing properties, providing services that are easily accessible for residents. The organization is located in Ranchlands and in Ogden.

“At Rise, we like to be where people are,” said Salimah Kassam, Executive Director of Rise Calgary.

Rise also helps folks find temporary housing while waiting for entry into Calgary Housing or another form of stable housing.

“In those instances, we’ll often provide the basic needs fund to keep the relationship going while working with the person to try and ensure that they’re building some sustainability into their budget so that this doesn’t happen again,” Kassam said.

Rise focuses on supporting residents who face immediate issues, be it income insecurity, housing insecurity, or food insecurity.

“We’ll start working with people on all three of those areas of life: income, food, and housing. We try to create some sustainability and some security for folks,” Kassam stated.

Rise’s priority with clients is to address their immediate need by accessing a number of interventions, including the Basic Needs Fund, filing taxes to access government benefits, and working with Alberta Works and income support. Anyone can start their stabilization journey with Rise.

A non-profit’s stabilization work usually only happens after you’ve engaged in a structured program. With Rise, that happens once you walk through the doors.

Stephanie, a Calgary Housing resident can attest to the value of Rise’s stabilization work. Her son has specialized needs, and Stephanie is a full-time care giver. She went to Rise for support.

“Everything kind of got on top of me. Everything just piled up and I went back [to RISE] and I can’t even explain in words how good they are. I went in, kind of in a puddle, and they just said, ‘let’s get you back on your feet.’ They are so good,” Stephanie said.

“We acknowledge that poverty is a really hard job, and it involves a lot of steps to get out of, and it’s a long journey. We’re there in a way that allows for that. We try and bring that compassion and that acknowledgement so that people can feel hope and can feel like there’s a path forward and a way out,” Kassam said.

The post Partner Profile: Rise Calgary – Providing Help for Today and Hope for Tomorrow appeared first on Calgary Housing.

In Calgary’s Forest Lawn neighbourhood, Indigenous families gather over shared meals, weaving together connection, culture and teachings help unravel the threads of intergenerational trauma.

Braiding the Sweetgrass is a program offered by Hull Services that supports urban Indigenous families to experience community and connect with their shared identities. The only requirement to join the program is that someone in the family must be enrolled in any grade in school, from kindergarten to Grade 12.

Peter Daniels is the program coordinator of Braiding the Sweetgrass. One of his goals is supporting these families in regaining cultural acceptance, to be proud of who they are and where they are from. The program allows families to overcome stigma and come back to their roots.

“It gives them the opportunity to be part of the community — a community of other Indigenous people that are searching for the same thing.” Daniels said.

The four-month program takes place in Hull Services’ Forest Lawn location and runs twice a year. There are eight different sessions led by Elders. The sessions include dinner on weeknights and lunch on weekends. The program kicks off with a pipe ceremony and a feast that engages families in the program right away.

“I heard an elder actually call it kind of an Indigenous contract, in a way,” Daniels said with a laugh.

The program includes age-appropriate lessons so families can learn teachings on the same topic.

Daniels recalls a Calgary Housing resident who was a single mom who was able to recognize the pattern of harm that she experienced as a child in herself. She was subconsciously repeating the pattern and, through the program, was able to recognize that and build a deeper connection with her daughters.

Families that graduate from the program or take a pause on their attendance have the option to take the program a second time to build more knowledge and to allow flexibility for changing life circumstances.

There is also a continuing community for graduated families so they can maintain their connections. Seventy families are now a part of the continuing community.

“Families come back with more resilience. They’re advocating for themselves more. For us staff, we get to watch the impact and that’s the big rewarding part,” Daniels said.

Daniels shared a story that highlights the program’s influence. A young mother, participating with her eight-year-old and one-year-old, had a realization during the sessions: she had stopped showing affection to her older child at a certain age, mirroring a pattern from her own upbringing. Encouraged by the lead Elder, she decided to break that cycle.

“Especially with the parents, when they’re in those groups, you see a lot of ‘aha’ moments,” Daniels said.

The post Partner Profile: Braiding the Sweetgrass – Supporting Indigenous Families on the Path to Healing appeared first on Calgary Housing.

The following Community Partners are delivering in-person support and services safely on-site. Please refer to the dates and times for specific locations.

On-Site Partner Programming

Bow West Community Resource Centre

• Ranchlands – by appointment
  [Added June 11, 2021]

Care Connect

• Bridgeland – for assistance getting food hampers from the Interfaith Food Bank. Call 403-264-2636.

Hull Services (Patch) 

• Woodlands – Opening soon to in-person by appointment
• Dover – Opening soon to in-person by appointment
• Midnapore – Opening soon to in-person by appointment
  [Added June 11, 2021]

Soccer without Boundaries

• MacEwan – Thursday at 5:30 at the public field next door.
  [Added August 5, 2021]

Southeast Community Resource Centre

• Ogden – by appointment [Added June 11, 2021]
• Crestwood – parent child group [Added June 21, 2021]

Trellis | growwithtrellis.ca

• Deer Run – Monday 2pm-6pm and Wednesdays 10am-2pm
  For youth programs and hub inquiries call (403) 472-5568.
  [Added March 19, 2021]

Women in Need Society (WINS) | winsyyc.ca

• Temple – Tuesdays & Thursdays by appointment
• Erinwoods – Wednesdays & Fridays by appointment
  [Updated June 11, 2021]

Site Specific Activities 

Community Gardens

Reach out to your Tenant Liaison if you are interested in getting involved with the community garden at the following locations!
[Added June 11, 2021]

• Bridgeland Community Garden
• Shaganappi Community Garden
• Rosscarrock Community Garden
• Manchester Community Garden
• Baker House Community Garden
• Falconridge Community Garden

Crestwood

• Parenting programs, pre-school programs and toy lending library. Thursday and Friday mornings, in partnership with SE Calgary Community Resource Centre and Families Matter. [Added June 22, 2021]

East Village

• Walking group. Dates vary – contact Pat for more info. [Added June 22, 2021]

Louise Station

• Parent and tot walking group. Dates vary – contact Pat for more info. [Added June 22, 2021]

The post Update on partner programming at CHC Properties appeared first on Calgary Housing.

The Kiwanis Club of Calgary Chinook in collaboration with Calgary Housing Company and Two Wheel View held a bike and helmet giveaway at their Vista Heights Complex on April 21, 2021.

The partners believe it’s a great way to give back to the community, make every child feel special, while creating a way for them to get exercise and explore their community. The day was dry, sunny, and warm, with temperatures in the teens for volunteers and the Two Wheel View mechanics to set up the bike station.

Volunteer Joanne indicated, “It was wonderful to see the excitement of the kids”.  Over 13 bikes and 12 helmets were given away that day, in fact they returned the next day to provide a special bike to a teenager as they did not have a bike suited for her on the day of the event.

Darlene, the  Bike Co-ordinator of the event exclaimed, “when I went to drop the bike off, I was so happy to see a young  mom helping her child learn how to ride their bike with training wheels.  Darlene further exclaimed that the event drew interest from passerby’s who were inquisitive to what the event was about.

Special thanks to Calgary Neighborhoods, Daniel Kebede for securing the park behind the unit for the event.

Volunteers from the Bike Even.

The post Bike Event at Vista Heights appeared first on Calgary Housing.

Construction at the Village Commons has wrapped up and CHC’s partner carya has moved in – exciting developments that bring us one step closer to realizing the vision of a new community hub at Calgary Housing Company’s East Village Place.

Village Commons is a new hub located in the heart of the rapidly developing East Village. It will be home to a wide range of programs in flexible spaces for community meetings, wellness classes, financial planning, empowerment, and more. Exciting and innovative features include a new art studio, family counselling centre, and an industrial-sized state of the art community kitchen. The space is also equipped with video and streaming capabilities to ensure programs and events continue to be accessible online.

With construction completed, carya has moved their operations on-site and is continuing to offer virtual programming – but the grand opening and community use of Village Commons will have to wait until public health and safety rules allow us to gather together.

Village Commons is the result of significant consultation and cooperation. In 2016 CHC purchased the property to preserve more than 160 affordable homes. Work began immediately to explore options for redeveloping the former Golden Age Club site to offer a space that would serve the residents of East Village Place and the broader community. In 2017, carya came on board as the partner with which this vision would be developed.

“Partnering with carya was the ideal solution,” says CHC President Sarah Woodgate. “This is an agency that has been supporting Calgarians for over 100 years and has both a history in this community and a vision for how to deliver that support for the future.”

“Our vision for Village Commons has always been a space where all Calgarians can come together and feel like they belong,” says Theresa Watson, CEO of carya. “While we can’t gather in this space just yet, we are thrilled it is now complete and ready for us to come together when it is safe to do so.”

To complete the partnership, CMLC was signed on as the project manager to lead the construction. As a driving force behind the overall East Village Master Plan, CMLC brought the expertise and vision to help realize this important community-focused project. In just 11 months and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the team completed the design and construction of the project under budget which allowed the team to open the scope to additional add-ons.

“East Village is the place where Calgary’s future continues to unfold and we see that with opening of Village Commons which invites current residents and supports the evolving needs of the neighborhood,” says Kate Thompson, CMLC President and CEO.

Completion of construction at Village Commons is not the only development at East Village Place. Whitebox construction is nearing completion on commercial space on the ground floor of the building and CHC is actively exploring leasing opportunities with potential commercial tenants.

More information about the programs and services that will be offered at the Village Commons can be found at:  https://caryacalgary.ca/about-carya/village-commons/

You can learn more about CMLC and its work in East Village at: https://www.calgarymlc.ca/east-village-projects-page#projects-area-featured

The post Milestone Brings Village Commons One Step Closer appeared first on Calgary Housing.

Calgary Housing Company partners with Calgary Dollars on projects designed to help tenants unlock assets in the community, and within themselves.

Calgary Housing Company (CHC) and Calgary Dollars (C$) have partnered for the last three years on a program designed to empower CHC tenants by using a local currency system to purchase goods and services from businesses and other users. In some cases, tenants can even use Calgary Dollars to pay a portion of their rent.

Calgary Dollars, known as a complementary currency, can be used as a form of exchange with any of the hundreds of individuals and businesses in Calgary that have signed up with the program. The main aim of the program is to create stronger community connections by providing additional ways for people to support local and to shop locally. The program is operated by the not-for-profit Arusha Centre which focuses on community building and sustainability.

Successful pilots at CHC’s Manchester, Lumino, Chinook and Louise Station communities throughout 2019 and 2020 encouraged tenants to use Calgary Dollars to exchange goods and services with each other, or to buy goods from partners like Fresh Routes Mobile Market.

Calgary Dollars has also helped tenants at some CHC properties launch initiatives like the “Sharing is Caring Library” – a tool and equipment library at CHC’s Manchester building. In this program tenants can earn C$ by helping manage the tools and equipment (like a carpet cleaner, drain snake, vacuum, and simple household tools) and ensure that borrowers know how to use them, and also return them.

Calgary Housing Company and the other partner housing providers, Calgary Urban Project Society (CUPS), Norfolk Housing, and Inn From the Cold, were also able to create customized “subnetworks” for tenants to connect with each other in their communities. The subnetwork design allows residents in specific buildings to meet, engage, and earn recognition credits for helping one another or their housing provider.

Story continues below…

View C$ Website | View C$ Listings

Tenant Testimonials

“What I’ve saved in C$, is helping make a holiday meal for 6 in my building” ~ Margaret

“What I can pay for rent in C$ is my spending money that I wouldn’t have otherwise” ~ Jean

“I know January is a bad financial time for me so I save up my C$ and use them for rent then to make it less stressful” ~ Saul

“The C$ reward encouraged me to, for the first time, put up Christmas decorations” ~ Hank

“Calgary Dollars has assisted us with our mission by creating conditions for residents to become more independent while simultaneously creating greater community.” says the Christina Budnick, Partnership Coordinator for Calgary Housing Company. “CHC is committed to providing affordable and dignified housing to Calgarians in need. Our collaboration with Calgary Dollars has assisted us with this mission by creating conditions for residents to become more independent while simultaneously creating greater community in our participating units.” The program has helped CHC residents discover alternative methods for earning supplemental income while developing skills and relationships with people in their community. In the CHC pilot, one hundred per cent of Calgary Dollars earned were used for basic needs or for community building exchanges.

The Calgary Dollars model is truly a demonstration of partnership, as the program received seed funding from the Home Program, a City of Calgary Affordable Housing Grant program that provides funds to local non-profits for initiatives designed to improve the non-market housing system. The Home Program invests in projects that contribute to improving housing stability and successful tenancies, and Calgary Dollars is a great example of how innovative initiatives can make life better by helping CHC residents unlock assets within themselves.

What can users spend C$ on?

View these and other listing on the C$ Marketplace.
~ Photocopies & Printing!
~ C$ Community Market
~ Jaunty Gypsy Jewelry
~ Bracelet Making
~ Math Tutoring
~ Earn C$ by Delivering Flyers
~ Drumming Lessons
~ Calgary Transit Tickets from Calgary Dollars
C$3.50/ticket, C$35 for a book of 10
Email programs@calgarydollars.ca for info

Other marketplace categories include:
~ Local Businesses & Retail
~ Food and Restaurants
~ Professions/Trade
~ Free Goods and Services
~ Leisure and Entertainment
~ And more!

 You Could Win $500 in C$ for participating in these or other C$ initiatives!

How to get involved

There are a few ways to get involved with Calgary Dollars. Join an upcoming virtual social or C$ roundtable and be entered into a draw to win $500 in C$!

C$ Virtual Meetups!
Calgary Dollars Virtual Social: Every Wednesday at noon (12pm)
Calgary Dollars Roundtable: Alternating Tuesdays at 6pm (Feb 23, Mar 9, Mar 23)

You Could Win $500 in C$ for participating!

Tenants at participating CHC properties can get involved with their property level marketplace, and are also eligible to use C$ to pay up to $100 towards a portion of rent!

The Louise Station Exchange | The Manchester Connection

C$ Virtual Sessions and Meetups

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, C$ has been hosting weekly virtual sessions at Manchester and Louise Station properties to chat about community building and personal issues, as well as to help participants develop digital and financial literacy while they learn how to manage their C$ account on the mobile app or website.

Calgary Dollars is also hosting C$ Virtual Meetups every Wednesday and Roundtable Discussions every other Tuesday.

For more information about C$ sessions, please reach out to programs@calgarydollars.ca

Program for using up to C$100 towards Rent

At CHC’s Manchester, Lumino, Chinook and Louise Station properties, C$ can be earned and then used to pay a portion of rent. One CHC resident has earned new revenue by selling her handicrafts for partial C$, and been able to use up to C$100 towards rent some months. She has also used her C$ to buy groceries from Fresh Routes Mobile Market, which accepts 50% of payment in C$. This resident also helped her neighbour who doesn’t have regular computer or phone access to manage her C$ account. This developed into friendship where the two continued expanding their digital and financial literacy skills together.

The post Calgary Dollars offers innovative solutions for CHC Tenants appeared first on Calgary Housing.

Partnership with Momentum connects tenants to opportunities that can translate into financial success! See the end of this story for things you can do with Momentum today! 

Momentum, a Calgary agency founded in 1991, is focused on creating a thriving local economy for all by working with individuals, businesses and communities to increase each individuals’ income and assets. They specialize in trades training for new Canadians and support Calgarians with things like small business training, micro business loans, personal money management courses and financial coaching. Calgary Housing Company (CHC) has been partnering with Momentum since 2015, connecting tenants to education, training and financial resources that support them on their various journeys in life.

CHC and Momentum’s partnership began to take shape with the launch of CHC’s Opportunities for Home Ownership (OHO) seminar series in 2015. The seminar series brings together Calgary agencies and organizations which focus on affordable home ownership. Momentum participates to share information on their money management and savings programs.

CHC and Momentum have worked together over the years to deliver a variety of education events that support tenants including regular money management workshops such as “Steps to Savings” and “Match Savings” programs. They have regularly participated in OHO and have advocated for and supported tenants with initiatives like “Tool Lending Libraries” in partnership with the Calgary Dollars Program. Momentum’s Financial Coaches have also helped clients apply for housing with CHC.

Read: Home Ownership Dream a Reality for Former CHC Tenant – Support and guidance from Attainable Homes home ownership program helps mom and her kids make the move.

Getting out of poverty takes courage, ingenuity and perseverance

Momentum has been empowering Calgarians living on low incomes for 30 years and they have been rewarding savers with matched savings since 1999. Over $4.4 million has been earned by participants to support the purchase of life-changing assets like business tools and family homes. Nearly 1,300 people have trained for a career in the trades through Momentum.

According to Momentum’s Financial Coaches, housing is the number one expense people have and it is not uncommon to see up to 50 per cent of people’s income go towards rent. That does not include other housing cost like utilities which makes it incredibly difficult to make ends meet since the recommended percentage for housing cost is about 30 per cent.

Momentum Success Stories

• Amy
• Nicole

To support financial empowerment, Momentum focuses on delivering programs and services that increase people’s ability to manage and save money, train for and maintain good jobs, or start a business. They also support communities and businesses to build and sustain the local economy from the ground up through Community Economic Development education and resources. Lastly, they provide community leadership by working with community partners, academics, civil servants and elected officials to support innovative systems-change approaches to poverty reduction, promote best-practices through evaluation and research, and influence public policies to remove barriers and allow people to be more financially stable.

Momentum believes that everyone has the ability to succeed, but many don’t have the tools they need to fulfill their potential. They know it takes a lot to get out of poverty, including courage, ingenuity and perseverance. So, their focus is on more than just creating jobs and starting businesses – they focus on inspiring vibrant communities where everyone plays a part.

For more information on Momentum, please visit their website today!

Momentum.org Resources

~ Manage and save your money
~ Train for and maintain good jobs
~ Start a business
~ Compass Youth Tech Training Program

Things you can do today to support your finances!

On-Demand courses from Momentum- Calgary Housing is proud to support Momentum’s new online course library with support from the Affordable Housing Home Program Grant!  All you have to do is sign up to get immediate on demand access. There are two courses currently available, and more will be added as time goes on. Courses are available as soon as you create an account. [View Now]

Momentum’s QUBER Savings App Challenge – Momentum has been helping Calgarians save money for more than 20 years. They are now partnering with QUBER to offer a free Savings Challenge to make the habit of saving even easier. The QUBER app can make saving money possible even if you’re living on a low income. Join the Momentum Savings Challenge on QUBER and get cash rewards for saving! [Learn More]

The post Partnering with Momentum to Deliver Financial Empowerment appeared first on Calgary Housing.

Through a very challenging 2020, Calgary Housing Company has focused on its mission to make life better for Calgarians by working to improve how we provide affordable housing and support tenants. CHC responded to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic and to technological and advocacy opportunities. We worked to help tenants manage through financial difficulty and took steps to improve safety and tenant supports. These efforts were also guided by the responses we received in our 2019 tenant survey (You can read more about that here).

The following are highlights of some of these efforts to provide support and continuously improve the way we serve the people who call CHC home.

• Making Life Better for Tenants

  CHC has taken a number of steps to improve the application and move-in process. We updated forms on our website and introduced a new electronic lease signing option for applicants and tenants.

  To better support tenants, we have been developing a tenant onboarding program to prepare tenants for successful tenancies, which includes the creation of a tenant handbook which is expected to be available for download from our website in December. Our tenant handbook is based on best practices research, an environmental scan of 30 housing providers across Canada, US, UK and Australia, the tenant survey and a CHC staff survey.

  CHC has supported housing stabilization through implementation of the CHC Eviction Prevention Policy and rent protocol adjustments. CHC made the decision to not evict tenants and offer payments plans prior to the Ministerial Order under the Residential Tenancies Act to ban evictions by the Province. To date, we have worked with over 600 tenants to create payment plans and connect them to critical financial and other resources such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).

  We have partnered with Children’s Cottage on their Homelessness Diversion & Prevention program and have referred 10 families to their program to get their arrears paid. Nearly $6000 in tenant arrears were covered through this collaboration.

  We’ve also been advocating for funding to increase the supply of affordable housing to meet needs and shorten wait times; a top suggestion from tenants. Our submission to the Government of Alberta expert panel can be found here.

• Improving Safety and Maintenance of our Properties

  Condition of properties, building and homes is another area that CHC has been working to improve. Throughout 2020, we have improved asset management plans for CHC units and have advocated for maintenance funding from all levels of government. We are also reviewing security protocols and contracts for effectiveness, and refining policies, procedures and partnerships that help ensure safe and healthy homes.

  We know that safety is a top priority for tenants and that is why we are proud that our pandemic response included the rapid implementation of a number of Standard Operating Guidelines to ensure staff and tenant safety. Policy changes, posters and signage were rolled out to high traffic buildings and communal areas, and enhanced protocols were put in place to ensure contractors working on site were also working safety. We also introduced more frequent cleaning of high touch surfaces at our buildings.

  In order to further improve maintenance and repairs, CHC has been upgrading our software, and refining policies and procedure that ensure fair and equitable procurement of services and supplies. CHC becoming more proactive in planning preventative maintenance activities.

• Improved Supports for Tenants

  We know that contact and communication is important to tenants, so we have also been providing more relevant and useful information for tenants on the CHC website and through our regular tenant email. This email is sent every two weeks and includes recent news from Calgary Housing Company, as well as information and resources from partner agencies focused on financial, community and health related topics. Our newsletter now reaches over 3,000 tenants! [Click here to Subscribe].

  CHC’s Tenant Liaisons support tenants who may be dealing with issues at home, in their building, or in their community, and provide referrals to various resources and supports in the community which provide as access to food, financial resources and support for issues such as arrears.

  As part of our pandemic response, we implemented wellness checks with tenants and referred over 2500 tenants to programs and services throughout the year. These calls have been related primarily to food scarcity and rent. We continue to engage in initiatives that support tenant well-being.

• Partnerships in the Community

  To build food security, we’ve partnered with ICanForKids to distribute over $200,000 in grocery gift cards for families, coordinated mobile food market delivery in partnership with Calgary Neighborhoods at 11 properties, and collaborated with Experience Church to utilize volunteers to support food hamper delivery for families in need.

  We’ve also provided up to date information on CHC website and in our tenant newsletter to support families and individuals facing food insecurity. In order to support kids, we collaborated with Calgary Neighborhoods (CN) to distribute nearly 3,000 activity kits to children to help keep them engaged and occupied at home throughout the spring, summer and fall. PDF versions of the activity kits are available for download on CHC’s website, along with additional activities such as links to Live Panda Cams and educational resources.

  We also collaborated with Calgary Recreation to promote and connect CHC tenants to their Community Nature Adventure Playground series. We have also leveraged the work launched with United Way and the Calgary Library for access to laptops for kids to do their school work.

  A new partnership has also been developed with the Youth Employment Centre to offer resume writing, interview skills and job training programs on-site, which will be launching in the coming weeks. To help addressing Calgary’s rising unemployment numbers. During the pandemic, we have worked closely with all of our Partners to ensure safe re-opening and operations of programs and services on our sites. Together we have been able to safely offer programs and support for tenant well-being at 25 properties.

• Programs that enable successful tenancies

  The RentSmart course is currently being offered to applicants and tenants online, free of charge thanks to funding from the Home Program. It is designed to help renters know and understand their rights and responsibilities when renting a home. It is a housing readiness model that gives participants the skills and knowledge to be great tenants and positively impact housing stability and supports housing stability and positive outcomes for people in our communities.	RentSmart Participants from early 2020
  The Home Program funded $20,000 for the Calgary Dollars pilot program in 2019. The Calgary Dollars program is used to incentivize resident engagement and pride of place within the CHC resident community. This program has already contributed to increased resident participation in activities that support. Calgary Dollars may be used to pay a portion of Calgary Housing Company tenant’s rent. The program is also supported by Norfolk Housing, CUPS, and Inn From The Cold. Alberta Human Services and Finance Ministers have endorsed the benefits of Calgary Dollars. CHC’s Calgary Dollars pilot began in December 2018 and included 342 transactions. The total value of the transactions to date is $24,574. The Calgary Dollars initiative illustrates diverse ways tenants can earn income by accessing self-identified, flexible income opportunities. All the dollars in this program were used for basic needs or community building exchanges.
  CHC’s Opportunity for Homeownership (“OHO”) Program helps connect tenants with agencies that can support their move into affordable homeownership. On February 21, Rundle Manor tenant Sintayehu Assefa got the keys to her brand new home. Assefa’s move into home ownership comes about after she connected with resources presented to Calgary Housing Company (CHC) tenants following the announcement of the 2021 closure of CHC’s Rundle Manor. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Calgary Housing Company for giving me a chance to raise my children in stable home,” she says. “I can’t thank you enough for supporting me through my hardships. My children and I will be forever grateful.” – Sintayehu Opportunities for Home Ownership (OHO) is an ongoing series of seminars for CHC tenants where local agencies and organizations provide information to tenants exploring new housing options. Partners have included organizations like The City’s Attainable Homes program, Habitat for Humanity, Momentum, Money Mentors and others.	Sintayehu posing with her children and CHC staff.
  Plans are underway for the 14th Floor Hub Space at Manchester. We are working on a Shared Use Agreement with L’Arche who will be delivering programs in the space including computer classes, financial literacy and yoga classes. This community space will also be used to deliver support programs by other community partners such as the Mustard Seed and Calgary Neighbourhoods. CARYA moves in to the new space at East Village on December 1, and they will be opening their doors in the New Year. CARYA is a social profit agency dedicated to creating strong families and communities for generations.	Open space at Manchester

The post A Look Back at How CHC has Supported Tenants Throughout 2020 appeared first on Calgary Housing.