News & Stories

National Housing Day: Housing Ends Homelessness

November 21, 2025

Today is National Housing Day: a time to reflect on the state of our housing crisis. We partnered with Alpha House to share why housing is the solution to homelessness. 

We know that Calgary is stronger when everyone has a safe place to call home.

Housing isn’t just shelter – it’s the foundation for health, stability, and opportunity.

Housing with appropriate supports works. When we pair deeply affordable homes with wraparound supports, we replace crisis with community.

Homelessness is a housing and health issue. When we treat it as a public disorder issue we are not focused on the solution – housing.

But there is good news. Calgary has strong programs and services that offer support to people experiencing and at risk of experiencing homelessness 24/7, every day of the year.  And we are more motivated than ever to collaborate with community partners to keep doing our part.

Our community needs low-barrier, well-staffed shelters and skilled outreach teams that are designed to help people find appropriate housing.  

Homelessness does not start here, Calgary’s shelters are a part of the solution; homelessness ends here.

Our community needs to scale up non-market housing, protect existing affordable rentals, boost incomes, and expand mental health and addiction care so that it’s accessible for everyone.   

Instead of barriers, we need bridges: more homes, more supports, and policies that put people first working to end their experience of homelessness.

Calgary already has incredible programs and services that help people every day. Together, we can scale these solutions and make lasting change.

On this National Housing Day, here’s what matters most: 

1. Build and protect affordable housing so everyone has a place to call home.
2. Expand mental health and addiction supports that meet people where they are.
3. Strengthen outreach and community partnerships to connect people to housing quickly.

Every dollar spent on housing is an investment in safety, health, and dignity.

We all want clean parks, open sidewalks, and safe neighbourhoods—the fastest way to get there is housing.

Housing ends homelessness.

Learn more about our housing programs and the impact we made last year.