“My education is more than a pathway to employment. It is the foundation of a lifelong commitment to caring for others and building a future filled with purpose, service, and stability,” said Naila, a nursing student and Calgary Housing resident.

This statement not only sums up her commitment to furthering her studies, but also her vision for the future.

Naila is one of the winners of Calgary Housing’s inaugural Stability for Success Educational Scholarship. The $2500 scholarship aims to support Calgary Housing residents on their journeys through post-secondary education.

Naila is currently enrolled in the Licensed Practical Nurse program at Bow Valley College. But she doesn’t want to stop there. Ultimately, Naila would like to work as a surgeon and it is her dream to direct a hospital, supporting those who cannot afford healthcare.

Originally from Jalalabad, Afghanistan, and having grown up in Peshawar, Pakistan, Naila understands the value of hard work. She and her family came to Canada in 2015 when Naila was entering grade 8. She had to adjust to a new life and a whole new language. Her family has lived in Calgary Housing for five years. Her father lives with a disability and is unable to work, while her mother dedicates her life to raising her three children.

Dealing with limited financial resources has shaped Naila’s life and future.

“I want to build a future where I can provide support to my family and contribute positively to my community. My father’s disability has taught me the value of resilience, patience, and compassion – qualities that continue to shape the person and future nurse I am becoming,” she says.

There was also a significant event in her life that sparked her interest in the medical field.

When Naila was 15, someone had a seizure in front of her. She was scared and nervous and didn’t know what to do. She wants to be able to have the knowledge and experience to support and assist.

“The opportunity to help people heal, improve their quality of life, and make a positive difference during their most vulnerable moments is what inspires me every day.”

You can read about all the 2026 Stability for Success Scholarship recipients.

The post From bystander to nurse to surgeon – Calgary Housing Scholarship supports one resident’s dream in the medical field appeared first on Calgary Housing.

Seeing a beloved family member suffer with chronic illness has inspired Zaima to do something about it. And she has a plan on how to alleviate the suffering of more than just her mother.

Zaima is one of the winners of Calgary Housing’s inaugural Stability for Success Educational Scholarship. It’s a $2500 scholarship that aims to support Calgary Housing residents on their journeys through post-secondary education.

Currently registered for Archaeology at the University of Calgary, Zaima plans to transfer to engineering with a focus on its biomedical application.

“[This] is the deliberate first step towards becoming a research oriented biomedical engineer. It is not just a collection of courses. It is a structured foundation that bridges the physical sciences with clinical problem solving, and that distinction matters to me,” she says.

Zaima’s interest in this area of study is rooted in watching her mother deal with a chronic illness. She has supported her mother with daily care, including managing her medications, and accompanying her to appointments when necessary. She has done all this while studying full-time and working part-time in the food industry to pay for her education.

This experience has fueled her desire to go further than an undergraduate degree. She wants to progress to get a master’s degree in biomedical science.

And she isn’t stopping there.

“Within five years, my goal is to lead a small research initiative from conceptual design through proof of concept. Not just executing someone else’s protocol, but designing and defending one of my own,” she states.

Her interest lies in helping those with diseases and disabilities.

Zaima’s family is from Pakistan and has lived in Calgary Housing for 5 years. The scholarship will help relieve the financial pressure and allow her to focus more on her studies.

“This scholarship represents not just money, but the freedom to pursue my potential without being held back by circumstances beyond my control,” she says.

It’s even more than that. Zaima feels like this is the confidence boost that she needs to keep going. Aim high. Keep pushing.

“I am determined to succeed, and with this help I can turn that determination into lasting achievement.”

You can read about all the 2026 Stability for Success Scholarship recipients.

The post Calgary Housing scholarship to help budding biomedical engineer appeared first on Calgary Housing.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Calgary, AB – Calgary Housing (CH) announced the recipients of its inaugural post-secondary education scholarship.

The Stability for Success Educational Scholarship aims to provide financial assistance to Calgary Housing residents who want to start or continue their studies at an accredited post-secondary institution.

The scholarship is unique, as the criteria isn’t based on academic performance in high school. The bursary aims to support residents no matter where they are on their educational journeys. There were also low barriers to apply, so that CH residents could easily apply: CH didn’t require a long essay, and residents just had to submit proof of registration to an accredited post-secondary institution.

“CH believes that access to safe, affordable housing is the foundation. When people have housing, the other pieces of their lives can start to come together, whether that’s employment, education, community, or stability,” said Bo Jiang, Interim President & CEO, Calgary Housing.

CH is committed to investing in our residents to ensure the housing stability they access through us can serve as a foundation to define success for themselves and create their own pathways to transform their lives.

CH received over 60 applications for the scholarship and a selection committee evaluated all the applications. CH awarded five scholarships in the amount of $2,500 each.

Coincidentally, the winners all have something in common: their educational pursuits are all in public service. Scholarship winners are studying social work, nursing, teaching, medical research, and emergency services. They are all passionate about helping others and giving back to their communities.

Read more about the recipients here.

The post Calgary Housing announces 5 recipients of the Stability for Success Educational Scholarship appeared first on Calgary Housing.

Qutaiba is an ambitious teenager, but like many in his shoes, he didn’t have the money to do or buy what he wanted to.

He wanted to start earning money for himself so that he didn’t have to burden his parents and ask them for spending money.

“I really thought like I could do it myself. I could become responsible and I could really earn the money that I need so I could stop asking my parents for it,” he explains.

Qutaiba also wanted to know what it would feel like to earn his own money and to work towards a goal.

He started off by selling snacks at school. But he wanted to do something bigger, something with a wider reach, so he could bring in more revenue.

Qutaiba started mowing lawns for neighbours in his Calgary Housing community, where he and his family have lived for 8 years.

A year ago, Qutaiba and a friend came up with the idea of starting an auto detailing service. The partnership didn’t work out, but Qutaiba kept on trying on his own. His mom invested in him and paid for his first pressure washer. He purchased all his subsequent equipment like brushes, cloths and cleaning solutions. He’s had a few customers, and he’s hopeful that his business can grow.

“It’s improving so far. And I think I could improve it in the future and really give it that boost that it means more customers and eventually grow my business,” he says.

Qutaiba is the first entrepreneur in the family, despite being the youngest with two older siblings. His father isn’t currently employed, but his mother and sister both work as daycare workers.

He chose auto detailing because he thought it would be sustainable and provide him with cash flow. He’s excited to put his energy into it and wants to make his customers happy.

“I’m pleased, they’re pleased, you know?” he says.

This is just the beginning for the enterprising young man. Qutaiba is focused on his studies and dreams of either becoming a police officer or a business owner.

“I just want to prove to people that you can do what you believe you can do. There’s nothing impossible.”

You can learn more about Qutaiba’s auto detailing company through his website.

The post Inside Calgary Housing: Resident has a fiery entrepreneurial spirit appeared first on Calgary Housing.

The post Inside Calgary Housing: How affordable housing helped one resident build a future appeared first on Calgary Housing.

Tax Slip info for Rent Assistance Recipients

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“It was the greatest experience for us.”

Courtney Cathcart grew up in Calgary Housing. He, along with his mom and brother, lived in a townhouse complex in the west end of the city. The family was able to access Calgary Housing when Courtney was two years old, and they lived in the same location until he was 14.

The complex had a nearby field where all the children would gather. It meant that Cathcart had access to a community of neighbours growing up who all looked out for each other.

“I loved my experience at Calgary Housing. It really allowed my mom to reset a bit, do some schooling, advance in her career,” Cathcart said.

Cathcart’s mom worked two to three jobs at a time while living in Calgary Housing and was also able to focus on her education. She worked her way up at Safeway and Canada Post, taking different roles and was able to save to be able to buy a house.

Access to safe, affordable housing that was embedded in community allowed her to gain some flexibility in her family life, transition to a full-time job, and be a fully present parent to her children.

She passed on the value of a good work ethic and community.

“It created an environment for us to be able to succeed”

“It created an environment for us to be able to succeed,” Cathcart said.

Living in Calgary Housing broadened Cathcart’s perspective and it caused him to live his life differently.

“For me, volunteerism is a big part of it,” he says.

Cathcart serves as the board chair for Vivo for Healthier Generations, a charity focused on creating healthier communities and generations in Calgary and beyond. He also serves as Rogers Communications’ director of government relations for the prairies, where he advocated for improved access to internet services for people living on lower incomes.

Rogers Communications now has a partnership with The City of Calgary’s Fair Entry program.

“It’s my experience [in Calgary Housing] that has me contemplating how I make things better and more supportive for people that need a hand.”

“It’s my experience [in Calgary Housing] that has me contemplating how I make things better and more supportive for people that need a hand,” Cathcart says.

The number of people who need a hand in Calgary is significant.

As of 2025 year to date, the number of households waiting for affordable housing through Calgary Housing is 7,574. The waitlist is priority-based, not time-based. This means that all applications for subsidized housing are prioritized based on an applicant’s point score. This point score is calculated based on the Social Housing Accommodation Regulation, under the Alberta Housing Act.

This makes sure the people facing the greatest housing challenges are supported first, based on:

• Percentage of income paid in rent.
• Priority scoring based on factors such as rent burden and current living conditions.
• Household circumstances, such as whether a person is exiting domestic violence or experiencing homelessness.

Single parent families often shoulder caregiving duties for children and aging family members, increasing household expenses and placing significant pressure on them as the sole provider. According to Statistics Canada (2022), single parent households are four times more likely to live below the poverty line compared to households with two parents. Calgary Housing faces the challenge of providing housing to single parent households in matching available homes to individual family circumstances.

Although nearly 1,000 single parent families have been housed to date, more than 2,000 remain on the waiting list. Single parent families make up 32 per cent of total applicants on the waitlist but continue to face significant barriers to accessing subsidized housing.

Calgary Housing wants to support more people to transform their lives. Every child in Calgary deserves the chance to build a life of their own, much like Cathcart.

Candace Kay is a single parent. While growing up in Calgary, she got involved in the wrong crowd and was on and off the streets for over a decade, but everything changed for her as soon as she realized she was pregnant. She knew she needed to do things differently.

“I was tired of getting up every morning wondering how I was going to make money that day,” she said.

She recovered from severe addiction and prioritized finding stable housing to be able to provide for her child. She ended the relationship with her then partner because his actions didn’t fit that priority.

She applied for Income Support and Calgary Housing.

She was able to access Calgary Housing when her child was born. With a little bit of income and stable housing, Kay felt more hopeful about her life.

“I’ve been praying for something like that for so long and I’m doing the best I can being on income support.”

“I’ve been praying for something like that for so long and I’m doing the best I can being on income support,” she said.

There are still challenges ahead for Kay, including finding a full-time job, but she is confident that she can take that on because she has safe, affordable housing.

“[Housing] is all that matters to me. Honestly, that makes everything fine,” she says.

Kay’s story is not uncommon. Many Calgary Housing residents are able to rebuild and transform their lives after years of unstable housing caused by job loss, family breakdown, health issues, and financial struggles.

Single parents face extended average wait times for affordable housing, often exceeding two years for larger homes.

The average wait time for single parent applicants on the waitlist is 702 days (1.9 years) for housing and this number varies based on the size of the home available. The need for larger homes is a significant barrier in providing safe, stable housing for single parent families with larger family composition.

A Calgary Housing resident we’ll call Jane had worked in the food and beverage industry for years. She held various jobs including childcare for her sister. Her husband also held a series of jobs, including serving at a local restaurant, a barber at a local hair salon and being an Uber Eats driver. Jane and her husband were getting by until their lives were derailed by health issues. Jane experiences debilitating dizziness and ear pain while her husband struggles with diabetes. At this time, the couple applied for Calgary Housing.

Jane feels like if they weren’t slowed down by their health, they would have gone on to open a business in the hospitality industry.

As the affordability crisis began to take hold, Jane felt like they were sinking fast, with no steady source of income, expensive rent, and the inability to work full time.

She couldn’t find a job. She would send out applications to grocery stores and other retails locations but wouldn’t hear anything.

“All of a sudden, things are going up, and all the doors are closed.”

“All of a sudden, things are going up, and all the doors are closed,” she said.

After six years of waiting, Jane accessed Calgary Housing. She said that getting into safe, affordable housing “stopped the financial bleeding.”

Jane and her husband live in a bachelor apartment in the heart of downtown.

“We can survive now, at least we can breathe a little bit,” Jane says.

As many as 30 per cent of applicants to Calgary Housing who are waiting for affordable housing are employed. Like Courtney’s mother, applicants are working many jobs to piece together an income to support themselves.

For these families, getting into a home in Calgary Housing would allow them to free up resources to save for education, or pay off debt. They would be able to start building sustainability in their finances to be able to survive the next shock to their financial wellbeing, with the increased cost of living.

Another group of people who face extended wait times are the single adults (non-senior) in Calgary. Research by Enough for All, a poverty reduction strategy stewarded by Vibrant Communities Calgary, found that this group typically lives at 55 per cent of the poverty line. With 2,726 single adults still waiting for housing, Calgary Housing sees applicant wait times ranging from 521 days to 766 days. The shortage of bachelor and one-bedroom homes in Calgary Housing’s inventory continues to drive housing instability for this group.

The number of people applying for affordable housing through Calgary Housing has surged by 54 per cent compared to last year. With 271 people moving to Calgary every day, the demand for affordable housing continues to grow. To meet this need, Calgary Housing is focused on increasing non-market housing supply both on behalf of the City of Calgary and through its own initiatives. The organization aims to deliver at least 3,000 non-market homes over the next decade.

People seek affordable housing for many reasons. Safe, affordable housing offers stability and a foundation for rebuilding, progress, and sustainability. Whether it’s a single parent creating a safe place for their kids, someone rebuilding life after addiction, an individual coping with medical challenges, or a hardworking Calgarian who still can’t afford rent. Affordable housing acts as a catalyst for change. It’s more than shelter; it’s a foundation for transformation.

Encourage your elected officials to continue investing in building and acquiring non-market homes.

The post Affordable Housing: A Foundation for Change appeared first on Calgary Housing.

Kaylee, a Métis woman from Manitoba, moved to Calgary in 2018. With support from Calgary Housing and her community, she overcame significant challenges and is now able to chart her own path forward.

She was having a hard time, she hadn’t completed high school, she wasn’t in housing and was also struggling in an unhealthy relationship.

Eventually, Kaylee was able to rent a room in a house, but that living situation was inadequate. She found a Calgary Housing residence on RentFaster and moved in with her partner, but troubles in her relationship hit a high. Kaylee was pregnant and the violence from her partner was overwhelming. She decided to move back to Manitoba for family support.

“I was in a low spot when I was pregnant and it all changed,” Kaylee said.

She then got the call while in Manitoba that she was accepted into Calgary Housing, so she moved back to the city, but she made the decision to get back together with her ex. They tried to make it work for eight months, she got pregnant with her second child, but the relationship didn’t work out.

Living alone in Calgary Housing, with a toddler and a baby, Kaylee focused on her educational goals as she needed to provide for her children. She studied to get her high school diploma, supported by a Métis organization.

“If I didn’t have support from the Métis organization and Calgary Housing, I wouldn’t have been able to go back to school,” Kaylee says.

“[Stable housing] has helped me get ahead of my life a ton. It’s been great living in Calgary Housing, everyone who lives here is wonderful. It’s fun for the kids, there is a park here. I enjoy the property,” she adds.

Kaylee didn’t stop with her diploma. She got into the Health Care Aide program at Bow Valley College and was able to access childcare for her children to focus on her studies.

“It was hard [to parent and] focus on schooling, but I managed through it,” she said.

Kaylee was hired instantly after graduation and now works full time.

She has transformed her life, even over the course of the past four years. She wanted to create a better life for her children and now can even see her next career goal of becoming a nurse.

“I feel like a totally different person. Who I was before is not who I am now. I don’t even know that person anymore. I had my struggles, and I never thought I could make it this far, but I did, and I keep going.”

The post Inside Calgary Housing: Resident overcomes challenges to chart a path forward. appeared first on Calgary Housing.

August 12 marks International Youth Day, and this year we wanted to highlight the story of one youth that lives in a Calgary Housing home.

While most students traded textbooks for video games this summer, Imaan dove back into his studies. He’s sharpening his critical thinking and essay-writing skills in pursuit of a dream: university acceptance with a focus on physics. He feels an invisible pull toward constructing his own theory on the manipulation of gravity.

Imaan, a recent high school graduate, has ambitions of completing a bachelor of science, and potentially a master’s degree and PhD.

He grew up in a Calgary Housing residence. His family immigrated from Khartoum, Sudan, in 2007. He said he felt they were unprepared for the challenges of living in Canada and the hurdles of raising a family in a new country.

“Calgary Housing gave us the option and the opportunity to start a life,” Imaan said.

With stable, affordable housing, Imaan doesn’t have to worry about where the next meal is coming from or how his family will make it through winter. That security has helped him focus on his future.

“Stable housing eliminates so many cons of trying to complete this dream of mine,” he said.

Imaan connected with a staff member at Calgary Housing who has a background in physics and could advise him on the potential of his dream.

“I wanted to talk it over with someone who had more practice and experience than me,” Imaan said.

The staff member explained that what may seem impossible from afar often just needs one believer up close. Possibility begins the moment someone chooses to believe. At the end of the day, you’ll prove it’s possible or discover the limits and either way, that’s a triumph.

When the staff member first arrived in Canada, he was fortunate to receive support from someone who profoundly shaped his educational journey. He said he’s honoured to pay that kindness forward now and offer the same support to the next generation.

That’s the kind of support Imaan sees every day from his fellow residents in his Calgary Housing community. He said community members are always willing to help each other out, no matter the challenge.

Surrounded by a supportive community, Imaan is ready to explore his educational opportunities.

“If I complete this theory, and I change it into a principle, then I’m putting humanity one step closer to entering a new age,” he said.

The post Inside Calgary Housing: Community’s support helps youth reach his dreams appeared first on Calgary Housing.

We recently joined The City of Calgary and the Calgary Fire Department to open the new Varsity Multi-Service Centre.

This community-focused hub includes strengthened emergency response, a public green space, new services, and new affordable housing options.

For Calgary Housing, the 48 new homes here are part of our ongoing work to deliver stable, affordable housing to Calgarians in every part of the city. Eleven homes at Varsity are fully accessible.

And some of the new homes at Varsity mark the start of the vision we’ve had for some time to combine multi-generational homes with our mixed-income model, creating stability for more families. This includes a mix of unit sizes and layouts, including adaptable studio units that can be joined to larger two- and three-bedroom homes to support multi-generational families.

“By including 48 mixed-income homes, with 11 accessible, for about 200 people in this new development, The City is taking a smart approach towards addressing housing needs. Residents will be part of a bigger community with services and other City uses on site — all integrated into an established community,” said Sarah Woodgate, President and CEO of Calgary Housing.

Read more on The City of Calgary’s Newsroom.

The post New Varsity Multi-Service Centre serves multi-generational families and community appeared first on Calgary Housing.