Community in Action

The School of Public Policy was proud to support the Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF) to conduct the annual Point-in-Time count of people experiencing homelessness in Calgary. 

Over 100 volunteers – including former students, government employees, bylaw officers, outreach teams and community members – worked through the evening and into the early hours to collect the data.

The count has been conducted as part of the federal government's Reaching Home program since 1992. For more than 15 years, researchers at the School have worked alongside the Foundation to better understand the scope and nature of homelessness in the city. The data helps governments, service providers and researchers track trends and inform policy decisions.

“Every year, we conduct a comprehensive enumeration that provides a snapshot of homelessness in Calgary, helping us understand trends over time and ensure our coordinated response creates lasting pathways out of homelessness for all Calgarians,” said Bo Masterson, Vice President Stakeholder Engagement at CHF.

"The measurement and access to accurate data is important as it helps us not only understand how many people are experiencing homelessness in the city, but also how they experience homelessness," said Ron Kneebone, Research Fellow and Professor Emeritus at the School of Public Policy. "The data that is collected helps identify ways to prevent homelessness in the first place and how to better manage the problem after the fact."

Beyond this initiative, the School and CHF co-host the annual Data That Makes a Difference conference, bringing together researchers, policymakers, service providers and community leaders from across Canada to explore how data can improve homelessness prevention and housing outcomes.

By opening its doors to volunteers and community partners for the point-in-time count, the School of Public Policy supports evidence-informed approaches to solving one of Calgary's most pressing social challenges

A report from the count will be published early in 2027.