Calgary has long had a surprising glut of homeless people; most visibly represented by the dirty middle aged men shuffling through the downtown core. It is surprising because Calgary is considered the best job market in the country.
In January 2008 Calgary was still riding its mid-2000s economic boom. The unemployment rate was 3.5 per cent, single-family house prices averaged $470,000, and rental prices were commensurate, with vacancy hovering around 2 per cent. The city was also growing at a nearly unsustainable rate, peaking at nearly 3,000 new people per month in 2006, while the provincial population increased by more than 10 per cent between 1996 and 2006. While the situation was extreme, it was by no means unheard of in Calgary. The city historically functions on an oil-driven boom and bust economic cycle.
In January 2008, Calgary's known homeless population was 4,060, in a city of 1 million. In 1998 businessman and politician Art Smith had founded the Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF), aimed at reducing their number. The CHF unveiled a plan to eliminate homelessness in the city within 10 years. Whether or not the CHF had stemmed the tide of homeless Calgarians since its establishment isn't clear. The mission is straightforward: “By January 29, 2018, an individual or family will stay in an emergency shelter or sleep outside for no longer than one week before moving into a safe, decent, affordable home with the support needed to sustain it.”
Statistics (According to the Calgary Housing Foundation unless otherwise attributed)
78% of homeless are male
17% of homeless men are employed
76% of homeless youth reported being victims of violence
62% said they had been violent to others
94% of youth on the street had recently used drugs or alcohol
100% of youth interviewed said they did not want to stay on the street
14% (1 in 7) of Albertans said in a survey they had experienced or come close to homelessness (The Salvation Army Poverty Report, 2010)
23,165 households are living in poverty (income less than $20,000) spending more than 50% of their income on shelter. Of those, 60% were renter households
15% of Calgary homeless are Aboriginal (The City of Calgary's 2008 Homeless Count)
2% of Calgary's population are Aboriginal (2006 census)
2,300 Calgarians have received support from the CHF
85% of people who were rehoused remained housed
