Did you hear about this wild thing with the Drop-In Centre?
This is just… well, it's a gut punch, for real though. The Calgary Drop-In Centre is winding down two pilot projects — the Encampment Shelter and the Vicinity Outreach programs — by the end of this month. Why? Federal funding is drying up. It makes you wonder about the long haul when we're trying to tackle homelessness in a city like ours. These programs weren't just about putting a roof over someone's head; they were about meeting people where they are, whether that's in an encampment down by the Bow River pathways or struggling through the chinook winds on 17th Ave.
### What This Means for Calgary
For a city that's seen the boom and the bust, we know what it's like when things get tight. But these aren't just budget numbers; they're people.
* The Encampment Shelter program provided safe spaces and outreach to folks living in those outdoor communities that sometimes pop up, especially along the river. * The Vicinity Outreach program was about connecting people with services, not just waiting for them to walk through the doors of the main shelter downtown. * Losing these means less direct, proactive support right when we're seeing more folks needing a hand up, not just a handout.
It feels like we're pulling the rug out from under some of the most vulnerable people in our city. We talk a big game about community and looking out for each other, but when the funding disappears, where does that leave us? It puts more strain on existing services and on the folks on the streets who rely on them. This is Calgary — we've seen the boom, we've seen the bust, and we showed up anyway. But it’s getting harder to keep showing up when these lifelines get cut.
Cassidy Redcloud, MiTL Sports Desk, Calgary.
You know Keith and the crew are gonna have some thoughts on this one this morning – tune in live at mornings.live.