“Securing safe housing can be an incredible step in someone’s journey.”
It’s something that Kristin Larson, Interim Manager of the CUPS Housing program, reflects on almost daily as she works with our team to actively connect and engage with about 150 landlords around Calgary to help house clients.
“Landlords can be exceptional,” says Kristin. “We do everything we can to keep working with the landlords who will give our clients a chance.”
Calgary’s difficult housing market – where there are no rent caps and rent can be raised with little notice – is just one barrier faced by people struggling to make ends meet, or who may not be housed.
Another is the stigma that CUPS clients face when they view an apartment. “The landlord may have a preconceived idea about the client’s life, but they don’t know what they’ve been through,” says Kristin. “We back our clients 100 per cent so that landlords don’t have any reason to discriminate.”
While many barriers are financial, others are more fundamental. The CUPS Care Coordination team works with clients to provide wraparound support and address barriers one by one, starting with what’s most urgent.
In the last year, 151 households received financial assistance through the CUPS Crisis Intervention Fund, not only for first month’s rent, but also utilities, support to avoid evictions and other emergency supports.
“Our Care Coordinators sit down with people to talk through their needs,” says Claire Ross, Senior Manager of Integrated Services.
Every client is unique and part of the initial process is exploring more about their needs, priorities and goals. While CUPS provides important access to basic needs, that’s often the initial entry point into CUPS and the beginning of a relationship that extends far beyond first month’s rent.
CUPS is working to support clients on a path to a stronger, more sustainable future. With integrated, wrap-around care, CUPS is taking people from a place where they can’t get government ID to access support, and bringing them in where they can get mental health treatment, access a primary care physician, connect and engage with family development programs and more.
“We don’t assume what a client most urgently needs to address,” says Claire. “We ask what they’re dealing with and what would help right now. Sometimes that’s a gift card to a dollar or convenience store. Sometimes it’s a bus ticket to get to an appointment.”