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Where has the year gone? I blinked and another summer came and went. It is November already, and on the occasion of National Housing Day I felt compelled to write. With winter almost upon us and the days getting shorter and colder, Calgary shelters have already begun to turn away patrons. As a result, for the second time in as many years, Calgary is opening a temporary shelter to augment what is available to the individuals and families in need of warm accommodation over the coming months. This is how we are marking National Housing Day in Calgary this year. Surely we can do better.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation predicts Calgary will experience the largest decline in rental affordability this year compared to four other major Canadian centres. That’s not good news in a city where the most recent Citizen Satisfaction Survey found 61 per cent of the participants felt their quality of life had declined since 2004, and gave cost of living and homelessness as some of the reasons for that dissatisfaction. This year, Calgary’s average rent is forecast to increase by 12 per cent while the average income of renter households will grow at only half that pace. It is true that the average income of Calgarians is increasing, but it is not keeping up with rental rate increases.

Faced with increasing homelessness, and knowing we could do better, Calgary took action. The Calgary Committee to End Homelessness was formed in January of this year; their 10-year plan is expected to be unveiled early in the New Year. And now the province has joined the fight.

On October 29th, in the wake of recommendations from the province’s Affordable Housing Task Force, Premier Ed Stelmach announced plans for a “secretariat of action on homelessness” that will oversee the development of a provincial 10-year plan. Citing “renewed determination” and “concrete solutions”, the province is offering us the opportunity to become part of a larger, coordinated effort to address the shelter needs of so many low-income Albertans. One year ago, the Poverty Reduction Coalition began asking for just such a partnership in the Funds, Land, Incentives recommendations report they submitted to all three levels of government. Needless to say, we were pleased with Stelmach’s announcement.

These plans will only be successful if they are complimentary and are backed up by policy changes such as an amendment to the Municipal Government Act that clarifies the use of inclusionary zoning as an affordable housing tool in municipalities. As it stands right now, the Act is unclear and municipalities are uncertain. Our hope is that the provincial secretariat will live up to its potential to streamline the efforts of many municipalities.

The Alberta government says it is going to do more than just commit money to finding a solution. They intend to work with the organizations that understand the causes and issues, then determine a strategy to respond to the needs of each community. And there’s the key – the strategy must recognize that for the most part, municipalities know what will work best for them. They’ve done that work already. What they need from the province is support in the form of policy amendments and sharing best practises among communities.

I think that Kris Kotarski said it well in his recent editorial to the Calgary Herald: “While this is a problem that will ultimately have to be solved through a number of initiatives at the local level, piecemeal solutions cannot and will not be enough to address such a fluid problem. Each entity can plug a leak in the dam, but a comprehensive long-term solution must come from everyone working together.” Insufficient affordable housing and the struggles of homeless Calgarians will not be solved with money alone; they will not be solved by the provincial or municipal government; they will not be solved by social service agencies. A collaborative approach is absolutely necessary.

The Coalition believes there is a role for everyone in reducing poverty. We hope a coordinated provincial effort will streamline those activities.

But government action is only part of the solution. The question for Calgarians must be what can we do about poverty and homelessness in our city? Most of us have compassion for this issue, but there can be a gap between compassion and action. This gap exists for a number of reasons, including a lack of awareness regarding the possible solutions.

We ask each of you, as employers and as community members to become involved in finding solutions to poverty and homelessness in Calgary. We must ask ourselves, what kind of world, and more specifically, what kind of Calgary do we want? And when we’ve answered that, we have to ask ourselves what are we willing to do to bring it about?

The Chinese Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu once said “great acts are made up of small deeds.” The Poverty Reduction Coalition believes that with the help of Calgarians, the additional efforts of a provincial secretariat and some necessary policy amendments to support the changes that must and will be made in our communities, we can effectively address poverty and the pressing need for more affordable housing in this city and in our province. By working together, performing both big and small acts, it is possible to foresee a time in the future of this city when National Housing Day could be celebrated by all Calgarians.

Bev Longstaff
Co-Chair, Affordable Housing Committee
Poverty Reduction Coalition