You have requested our assistance in compiling and estimating the costs of caring for homeless persons (including, but not limited to, costs of providing emergency services, shelter, food, health care, and social services) in Calgary. Our work consisted largely of accumulating care costs by those agencies and parties providing the services, ensuring there is no duplication or overlap (which would cause the same cost to be counted twice), and reporting to you. As will be discussed further in this report, there were some limitations on the data available to us; some agencies did not accumulate costs; some did not segregate the costs of services provided to homeless vs. other clients; and capital costs in particular had to be estimated in many instances. We recommend that this analysis be the starting point for a more detailed study. We understand that our analysis will be included in a report to the Government of Alberta and other stakeholders of the Calgary Homeless Foundation as a part of the 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness in Calgary.
Report