40 emergency shelter spaces for women open in Calgary

Forty new, year-round shelter spaces for women opened in Calgary on Monday morning, intended to help them rebuild their lives and transition into stable, long-term housing.

Jason Nixon, Alberta's minister for seniors, community and social services, announced the spaces, adding there was already a line up of people waiting to access the space when he got to the centre.

Intended to provide around-the-clock service for women in need, Nixon said it's a step toward solving the housing issue in Alberta's two largest cities while providing support for a vulnerable population.

The project will be funded by the provincial government with a commitment of  $762,702 —  including $98,500 in one-time startup costs.

"There's still other challenges beyond just emergency shelter spaces," Nixon said. 

"But the reality is we do see some real positive things taking place in this area of our province."

According to Samantha Lowe, the senior director of shelter operations for The Mustard Seed, there's been a 50-per-cent increase in women accessing that shelter in the last year.

This new shelter is designed to meet that demographic's unique needs and will be run by that organization.

"From helping with system navigation to offering housing case management and counselling, we are committed to providing comprehensive, wrap-around supports to these women," Lowe said.

"Our goal is to empower women to rebuild their lives and transition into stable, long-term housing."

The spaces are in the Mustard Seed shelter at 110 11th Ave. S.W. — formerly the Inn from the Cold building — in downtown Calgary.

They are set up to help women transition into stable, long-term housing when they're ready.With the newly opened spaces, the minister said Calgary and Edmonton should have enough emergency capacity to be able to deal with winter, freeing up some time to focus on long-term housing solutions.

There are now 78 shelter spaces for women in Calgary, with others run by The Salvation Army and YWCA Calgary.

NDP MLA Janis Irwin, the Opposition party's housing critic, said she was relieved to see the UCP government investing in more shelter access heading into winter, but added that it is "far from adequate."

"The rapidly growing need for more shelter spaces is a clear indication that the housing crisis in our province is dire and worsening, and the UCP are continuing to ignore their responsibility in it," Irwin said in a statement.

"We need the government to step up immediately and work to ensure that every Albertan has a roof over their head in a safe, affordable home, not just a temporary mat on the floor."