News Release: Enabling Housing Choice Project Phase 2 Completion
January 22, 2024
News Release
January 22, 2024
News Release
ALBERTA – January 22, 2023 — On behalf of the Rural Development Network (RDN), the Sustainable Housing Initiative (SHI) is excited to announce that we have completed the 2nd Phase of the Enabling Housing Choice project, which provided recommendations for increasing housing choice in six Alberta communities.
SHI is working to support housing development that is diverse and more affordable through its Enabling Housing Choice Project. This project was made possible through funding and support from the Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF).
The purpose of this 2nd Phase has been to provide recommendation reports that promote housing choice and diversity in the Towns of Bow Island, Trochu, Mayerthorpe, Claresholm, and Pincher Creek, as well as the City of Airdrie. These reports have been informed by extensive research and community engagement, to better understand how the recommended changes can best address each community’s diverse housing needs.
“The Enabling Housing Choice is responding to the national housing crisis by working alongside municipalities in developing and implementing transformational policy change” says Linda Bernicki, Director of Community Development and Indigenous Engagement at RDN. “We are very excited to have completed the second phase of this project with these communities, and to help address the housing shortage in the community through transformational policy change.”
“This timely project seeks to find solutions to the housing crises being faced by municipalities across our province. As a foundation with real estate roots, we have the responsibility to explore how our funding programs can strengthen the real estate industry and can support consumers, whether as renters or homebuyers”, says Patti Morris, Executive Director of the Alberta Real Estate Foundation. “We are honoured to invest in this effort to support diverse, sustainable, and equitable housing development in Albertan communities.”
Next Steps For the Enabling Housing Choice Project:
For further information about the Enabling Housing Choice Project, please visit: https://www.housingredefined.ca/enabling-housing-choice-project
For more information, please contact:
MEDIA CONTACTS
Linda Bernicki
Director of Community Development and Indigenous Engagement
lindab@ruraldevelopment.ca
Holly Udall
Marketing & Communications Manager
ABOUT THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT NETWORK
RDN is a not-for-profit organization that facilitates, supports, and champions rural community development through collaboration, research, and service provision. RDN supports the sustainability of rural communities and works with communities to amplify the “rural voice”. RDN collaborates to identify and bring focus to rural issues, build local capacity, and find innovative, rural-based solutions to unique issues.
To learn more about RDN, visit www.ruraldevelopment.ca.
ABOUT THE SUSTAINABLE HOUSING INITIATIVE
In 2015, RDN created the Sustainable Housing Initiative (SHI) in direct response to rural communities expressing their need for support in addressing the critical lack of affordable housing. This issue has not received the same attention and resources as it has in urban centres, and comes with unique challenges requiring unique solutions. The SHI conducts research, data analysis, produces housing needs assessments, business plans, financial analyses and more. This lays the groundwork necessary for projects to access funding from governments, banks, and other sources, which is often the biggest hurdle to overcome.
To learn more about SHI, visit www.housingredefined.ca.
ABOUT THE ALBERTA REAL ESTATE FOUNDATION
The Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF) was established in 1991 to advance the real estate industry and strengthen Alberta’s communities. Created under the Real Estate Act after years of discussion between industry leaders and officials in the provincial government, the Foundation started making an impact right away by funding initiatives to help educate and train real estate professionals. AREF invests in real estate policy, research, practices, and education that strengthen Alberta’s communities.
To learn more about AREF, visit https://aref.ab.ca/.
Edmonton, Alberta – January 10, 2024 – The federal government has announced additional funding that will allow the Rural Development Network (RDN) to distribute approximately $4 million over the next two years to Alberta’s rural, remote, First Nation, and Métis Settlement communities through the Reaching Home Rural and Remote funding stream.
As the Community Entity for the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home Rural and Remote funding stream in Alberta, the Rural Development Network is currently accepting applications through a Call for Proposals to fund projects that aim to prevent or reduce homelessness in their communities. Alberta’s rural, remote, First Nations, and Métis Settlement communities and organizations are eligible to apply for funding to conduct projects in 2024-2025 and 2025-2026. Projects may start as early as April 1, 2024 and end as late as March 31, 2026.
“Investing in these local solutions supports community-led projects that help those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. We will continue working with the Rural Development Network to support those most in need in rural, remote and Indigenous communities across Alberta,“ says the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
The additional $4 million in funding will be distributed to communities and organizations that aim to reduce or prevent homelessness outside of the 7 major cities in Alberta.
“As homelessness and housing insecurity continues to be on the rise in rural, remote and Indigenous communities in Alberta, it is increasingly important to support innovative and locally driven community responses to homelessness,” says Sydney Stenekes, RDN’s Director of Homelessness Initiatives. “We welcome the additional Reaching Home funding from the federal government and hope to support a diverse range of projects across the province, supporting both immediate needs and longer term solutions through this Call for Proposals.”
Eligible communities and organizations can apply through the online application form before February 9, 2024, 11:59PM MST. To reduce barriers for First Nation and Métis Settlement communities who are interested in applying for funding, the Rural Development Network has developed an alternative application process under the guidance and feedback of Indigenous partners; Indigenous communities or organizations may submit a letter of intent through the online application form in lieu of a general application. Selected applicants will then be invited to partake in an oral application process.
For more information about the 2024-2026 Reaching Home Call for Proposal, or to apply for funding, visit the Rural Development Network’s website.
This program is funded by the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy.
For more information, please contact:
MEDIA CONTACT:
Sydney Stenekes
Director, Homelessness Initiatives
1-613-986-5207
programs@ruraldevelopment.ca
ABOUT THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT NETWORK
The Rural Development Network is a not-for-profit that facilitates, supports, and champions rural community development through collaboration, research, and service provision. RDN supports the sustainability of rural communities and works with communities to amplify the “rural voice”. RDN collaborates to identify and bring focus to rural issues, build local capacity, and find innovative, rural-based solutions to unique issues.
ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA’S REACHING HOME FUNDING
Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy is a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness across Canada. This program provides funding to urban, Indigenous, rural and remote communities to help them address their local homelessness needs.
Reaching Home supports the goals of the National Housing Strategy, in particular, to support the most vulnerable Canadians in maintaining safe, stable and affordable housing and to reduce chronic homelessness nationally by 50% by fiscal year 2027 to 2028.
It is no surprise that with the skyrocketing cost of living and the beginnings of a national housing crisis, homelessness has become a major problem across Canada. Homelessness is very visible in urban areas as it is common to see individuals sleeping in the streets, which is easier to identify than rural homelessness. Rural homelessness is more often concealed and can present itself as individuals couch-surfing or living in inadequate housing. It is more hidden and harder to casually recognize, which is why a professional homelessness estimation is necessary.
Even while employed, the increase in interest rates and utility costs makes it very difficult to own a home and even worse to rent. With various contributing factors to homelessness, having a roof over your head now seems like a luxury not many can afford.
“Based on the data from the provincial project, 69% of housing insecure respondents are employed. One of the common assumptions made of folks experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness is that they should get a job. When the reality is that we’re in a cost of living crisis, we are in a housing crisis and the data clearly shows that having a job simply isn’t enough anymore,” says Emma Wallace, Project Manager of Community Development and Homelessness Estimations at the Rural Development Network (RDN).
Emma Wallace, Project Manager of Community Development and Homelessness Estimations at the Rural Development Network (RDN).
Given the complexities surrounding homelessness in rural areas and the varying ways it impacts communities, working with RDN to estimate homelessness in your community is a great way to get started.
The Rural Development Network’s Homelessness Estimations Project helps support rural, remote, and Indigenous communities in Canada by measuring homelessness effectively.
When a community approaches RDN with concerns about homelessness, Emma and her team walk them through developing a survey, followed by identifying community organizations that can distribute and promote it. After 30 days, RDN will collect the surveys and analyze them to draft a final community report.
This whole process is a community effort that involves service providers, municipal governments, and folks experiencing homelessness. This methodology is based on the Step-by-Step Guide to Estimating Rural Homelessness.
“We developed the Step-by-Step Guide to estimating rural, remote and Indigenous homelessness in 2017 and it is the methodology that we use to support communities in understanding homelessness in their area and that came out of a need identified by rural communities,” says Emma.
Emma Wallace, Project Manager of Community Development and Homelessness Estimations at the Rural Development Network (RDN).
Finally, based on an analysis of all the data collected and presented in the report, RDN develops a set of opportunities the community can undertake to address housing insecurity moving forward
A Homelessness Estimation has proven to be effective for communities struggling with resources and accurately identifying how many people are experiencing homelessness.
For example, a final estimations report contains valuable information for communities such as:
“Homelessness tends to present itself differently in rural areas. So in urban centers, it’s quite easy to just walk down a street and see folks who are unsheltered but in rural communities, we see a lot more people who are couch surfing, living in inadequate housing, and just experiencing really different types of homelessness,” Emma expressed.
Emma Wallace, Project Manager of Community Development and Homelessness Estimations at the Rural Development Network (RDN).
An estimation additionally helps give an accurate or representative portrayal of what people in the community are currently struggling with or experiencing in terms of housing insecurity.
“The estimation process provides folks experiencing homelessness with an opportunity to share their thoughts, insights, reflections and experiences that will ultimately influence the way a community addresses homelessness in the future,” adds Emma.
Emma Wallace, Project Manager of Community Development and Homelessness Estimations at the Rural Development Network (RDN).
By including community members impacted by homelessness in the estimation, communities get an in-depth first-view perspective that is crucial in understanding the problem.
Many communities face challenges with providing evidence to support their applications for funding to support complex social issues. However, with the findings from a Homelessness Estimation report, communities can confidently apply for funding to begin developing solutions to address homelessness and housing insecurity. In other words, a Homelessness Estimation report can act as an evidence-based advocacy tool for communities.
For example, after Conklin, Alberta received a Homelessness Estimations report in 2018, Cenova created a 5-year $50 million project to address homelessness in their community. And, Drayton Valley used the data collected in their 2020 estimation report to secure funding for emergency shelter pods for those experiencing homelessness to find safe and warm refuge.
“I think one of the main values for communities in conducting an estimation is getting that big comprehensive picture of what homelessness looks like in their area – the who, why, and how many. Because of that communities can prove that homelessness exists in their area. They can access funding and start to develop solutions to address housing insecurity and homelessness in the community,” explains Emma.
Emma Wallace, Project Manager of Community Development and Homelessness Estimations at the Rural Development Network (RDN).
By conducting an estimation, the final report can help communities identify what services are needed. These reports provide a data-driven foundation that highlights the necessary measures to be taken to support those who are housing insecure. As a result, communities can start to compare the existing services to what’s needed to identify and bridge the gaps in the services available.
For example, based on their estimations report, the Soaring Eagle Support Society in White Court was able to advocate to transition a motel into an emergency and transitional shelter for community members. And, Peace River opened their first emergency shelter based on the needs identified through their homelessness estimation.
“Communities also use these estimations to raise awareness within their communities about homelessness in their areas given its more hidden nature. So on a smaller scale, communities can improve on current programming. We also see a lot of collaborations between service providers coming out of an estimation project… Overall, I think we can say that meaningful and relevant data on rural, remote, and Indigenous homelessness is instrumental in supporting communities to address their needs,” says Emma.
Emma Wallace, Project Manager of Community Development and Homelessness Estimations at the Rural Development Network (RDN).
Some communities have started to express interest in a community action plan which details step-by-step how a community can undertake some of the recommended opportunities provided in the final estimation report. This is the next step for the RDN team to continue to support communities and one that Emma’s team is already working on.
“In an estimations report, we will have a section typically where we highlight some opportunities that a community can undertake to address housing insecurity in their area moving forward based on the data in the report. But they don’t necessarily outline to a community, how they can actually action that…This is why we’ve started exploring with communities, who are interested and have the capacity to undertake this type of project,” explains Emma.
Emma Wallace, Project Manager of Community Development and Homelessness Estimations at the Rural Development Network (RDN).
A community action plan would outline who needs to be involved including key partners, timelines, steps required to carry out the recommendations, and why it’s important to implement the recommendations. By receiving a community action plan, communities become better informed and equipped on what necessary next steps they need to take to address homelessness and support their housing insecure community members.
Reach out to Emma Wallace, Project Manager of Community Development and Homelessness Estimations, at emmaw@ruraldevelopment.ca for more information!
ALBERTA – Oct. 3, 2023 – Earlier in 2023, the Rural Development Network (RDN) partnered with 21 communities across the province to capture a comprehensive picture of rural, remote, and Indigenous homelessness. The results indicated that women, 2SLGBTQIA+, and Indigenous people are disproportionately at risk of being or currently experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness across rural Alberta.
The data collected in March 2023 identified 2,429 survey respondents as housing insecure according to the national definitions of homelessness. Additionally, the 2,429 housing insecure survey respondents reported sharing housing insecure living conditions with 2,354 dependents and 2,537 adults. That is, based on survey results, at least 7,320 community members are experiencing housing insecurity in the 21 participating rural, remote, and Indigenous communities across the province.
More specifically, RDN discovered that:
“The data coming out of the 2023 provincial estimation are highlighting some very concerning trends – data indicates that vulnerable or minority population groups are at much higher risk for housing insecurity in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities,” says Emma Wallace, Project Manager of Community Development and Homelessness Estimations at RDN.
Based on the survey results, the top three reasons for housing insecurity across participating rural, remote, and Indigenous communities in Alberta are:
The data also suggests that despite an employment rate of 64% among housing insecure respondents, 49% reported an annual household income of $49,999 or less in 2022. This, combined with the fact that according to the Economic Research Institute (2023), the cost of living is an average of 6% higher than the national average across all 21 communities and an average of 4% higher than the provincial average in Alberta across all participating communities, speaks to the main reported reason for housing insecurity among respondents: low wages. In other words, without adequate wages to match their communities’ cost of living, housing insecure respondents will continue to struggle with housing insecurity.
Survey respondents further indicated that increased availability of affordable housing, public transportation, and services would help improve housing insecure respondents’ housing situations.
“Our goal at RDN is to support rural, remote, and Indigenous communities to identify and bring focus to rural issues, including housing insecurity. Data collected in each participating community should allow them to better address housing insecurity locally and, when combined to reflect the provincial picture, will allow for improved provincial and federal decision-making and funding allocations to address rural, remote, and Indigenous homelessness,” says Wallace.
This is the third provincial estimation project that RDN has conducted with rural, remote, and Indigenous communities in Alberta, with two other estimations conducted in 2018 and 2020 respectively. More information about these results can be found on the Rural Development Network website.
“The data provided by the Rural Development Network (RDN) in the 2023 Alberta Housing and Services Needs Estimation will help us make targeted decisions to address housing insecurities and other aspects of homelessness in Alberta. We will continue to work with partners to help create safe, stable, and affordable housing throughout Alberta and across Canada,” says The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages.
To learn more about the 2023 project, check out the 2023 Alberta Provincial Housing and Service Needs report.
This project was funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy.
-30-
For more information, please contact:
MEDIA CONTACT:
Adrienne Vansevenandt
Marketing & Communications Manager
We wanted to share the news of Dee Ann Benard’s departure from her position as Chief Executive Officer at RDN. We previously shared this news in our newsletter and more recently at our Annual General Meeting.
After almost fifteen years with RDN, Dee Ann has decided to embark on a new and exciting opportunity. Her last day in her role at RDN was September 30, 2023, prior to starting her new role as Director of the Botanical Gardens at the University of British Columbia.
Dee Ann’s journey with RDN has been marked by remarkable achievements, starting from its inception in 2009 up until today. Her visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to our organization’s mission have been truly exceptional. Throughout her tenure, Dee Ann has exemplified the values of integrity, dedication, and innovation that have guided RDN in its work, and her strategic vision and tireless endeavours have shaped the organization. Her presence will be greatly missed.
Please join us in extending our best wishes to Dee Ann as she embraces this new chapter in her life. We wish her all the success in her future endeavours!
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Lisa Belanger as Interim CEO, effective October 1, 2023, as we work towards filling this role. Lisa is our Director of Operations and has been with RDN for nearly 6 years. Her in-depth knowledge of RDN’s programs and team ensures the organization will continue to run smoothly. We’d like to congratulate Lisa on the interim appointment and extend our appreciation for all that she brings to RDN as she takes on this new role.
Sincerely,
Kevin Shufflebotham, RDN Board Chair
More about Lisa Belanger
As Director of Operations, Lisa helps manage the RDN team in delivering its projects, capacity-building work, events, and more for rural communities. She develops processes and strategies for effective community-focused operations, organizational growth, financial resilience, and continued progress toward RDN’s goals. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta, focusing on Strategic Management and Operations with a minor in Business Economics and Law. Lisa has completed various additional training including Finance for Non-Finance Leaders, Project Management courses, Facilitation Skills, and Communication Strategies. Since 2017, she’s grown her skillset with RDN and strives to ensure that our team has what it needs to consistently and effectively deliver its work and continue to learn.
In her free time, she enjoys being out in the wilderness while hiking, rock climbing, dirt biking, snowboarding, or any other form of adventure. She’s thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from the border of Mexico to Canada over 4.5 months and completed a 100-mile ultramarathon. In 2022 she was elected to join the Board of Directors of the Great Divide Trail Association to contribute her skillset and passion to their work.
Whether working on issues that affect rural Canada or pushing her limits in the outdoors, Lisa brings a high level of organization, energy and skill to everything she does.
The Rural Development Network’s Rural Roots program has thrived in its second year, leaving a lasting impact on rural communities across Canada. With a focus on empowering post-secondary students and rural employers, the program has achieved impressive milestones and overcome challenges through creativity and collaboration. In this blog, we explore the highlights from the past year such as our achievements, the lessons we’ve learned, and our plans for the future.
Building off a successful pilot initiative, Rural Roots’ second year was one of tremendous growth and impact. According to Daniela Seiferling, Rural Roots’ Program Manager, “It was a year of learning, improving, and thinking of how we could better deliver the program and make this a sustainable initiative.” Targets included facilitating 1,000 Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placements across Canada, engaging 2,000 employers, and hosting a year-end showcase.
“By incorporating valuable feedback from stakeholders, the program successfully expanded its outreach and matched an additional 250 students compared to Year 1. We also expanded the number of post-secondary institutions (PSIs) and programs we were working with to increase the breadth of opportunities we were offering students,” says Daniela, reflecting on the substantial growth in placements and opportunities.
Daniela Seiferling, Rural Roots’ Program Manager
Rural Roots closely monitored our program data to identify trends around career pathways and in-demand skills. The demand for WIL placements among students was diverse, but some roles proved to be particularly sought after. Non-profit branding, graphic design, marketing, and communications were consistently in high demand from both employers and students. Additionally, students displayed a keen interest in data analysis, business consulting, and supporting social enterprises, indicating their desire to contribute research expertise to small businesses and support sustainable economic development.
By implementing targeted communication campaigns, launching a new matching platform, and creating a WIL microsite, Rural Roots made significant strides in connecting with employers, students, and PSIs, both organically and through established networks. Notably, the program witnessed a surge in engagement from Indigenous-led organizations, economic development entities, and innovation hubs, underscoring the program’s ability to resonate with a diverse range of stakeholders.
“This program can help employers and organizations, like Alberta HUB, maintain operations and assist in developing a strategy to meet our mandates,” says Bob Bezpalko, the Executive Director of Alberta HUB, who has engaged over 20 students through the Rural Roots program.
Bob Bezpalko, the Executive Director of Alberta HUB
Rural Roots’ second year underwent a varying set of challenges, including economic downturns and impacts from provincial election(s). However, the program demonstrated resilience by adapting and innovating to overcome these hurdles and support employers with building their internal capacity to recruit and engage students.
Daniela explains, “We helped employers pivot from traditional WIL to innovative WIL (e.g., course-based projects) and scale their expectations or deliverables accordingly. We also supported employers with little to no HR capacity with screening applications and interviewing potential candidates.”
Daniela Seiferling, Rural Roots’ Program Manager
Our efforts to support employers throughout the WIL process have fostered strong bonds between Rural Roots and between rural communities. As Daniela Seiferling emphasizes, “Our team does a lot of pre-work with employers. We’re meeting with organizations to understand where they have current gaps in capacity and helping them frame their project in a way that meets their needs, both financially and capacity-wise, to ensure they have achievable outcomes.”
Our support has helped address an increased demand for WIL and has also fostered new connections and new opportunities in rural communities.
“Because of RDN [and the support of the Rural Roots team] we have been able to reach out to other post-secondary institutions with this common connection so working with RDN has been a catalyst for opportunities,” says Medicine Hat College.
Medicine Hat College
As Rural Roots continues to grow, we plan to develop more resources supporting PSIs in delivering WIL opportunities. We will also aim to advocate for rural and remote employers and institutions at provincial and national levels, fostering unique partnerships, innovative programs, and collaborative funding.
Through Rural Roots’ unwavering commitment to excellence and meaningful impact, the program has garnered increasing recognition within the work-integrated learning space. “More people are aware of the program and want to partner or work with us on various projects,” Daniela remarks, highlighting the program’s rising prominence as a key player in the WIL landscape.
The program’s reputation as a trusted partner for post-secondary institutions and rural and remote employers earned accolades from larger organizations interested in the WIL landscape.
“[RDN provides] access to rural networks, [giving] our students access to see what’s going on in rural and smaller communities that need help,” says MacEwan University.
MacEwan University
As more people learn about the program and what it has to offer, the Rural Roots team now has employers actively reaching out to them to explore collaboration opportunities. This organic growth stands as a testament to the program’s profound impact and evolving influence within the educational and rural development sectors.
And Rural Roots wouldn’t be a rising star without the funding and support from one of its partners, the Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER). Through collaborative efforts and regular meetings, BHER and Rural Roots have worked together to achieve shared goals and objectives, while BHER has also championed the program, connecting it with new partners and supporting its expansion.
Daniela says “BHER’s commitment to promoting WIL and creating opportunities for students has enabled Rural Roots to adapt and grow its program, addressing challenges and staying ahead of emerging trends.”
Daniela Seiferling, Rural Roots’ Program Manager
With this growing recognition comes growing responsibilities and expectations from stakeholders. The program is currently working on a project that identifies best practices and approaches around WIL in rural and remote spaces. The research will inform the creation of a white paper and toolkit that will aim to build capacity for its smaller PSI partners who are looking to Rural Roots for innovative solutions. By providing support to our PSI partners, we hope to further strengthen existing partnerships, attract new partners, and strengthen the WIL ecosystem in Canada.
Heading into its third year, Rural Roots aspires to scale its existing program by:
With Daniela Seiferling’s guidance, a committed WIL team, and BHER’s support, Rural Roots is set to continue its journey of providing transformative experiences for students, rural and small-scale employers, and PSIs across Canada.
RDNs Rural Roots program allows students to gain much-needed experience to transition to their future careers and allows employers to boost their capacity while generating projects that have tangible results. Through meaningful engagement in our program, we aim to raise awareness of the benefits of working, living, and supporting rural communities.
The Qalipu First Nation is trying to improve its housing strategy by getting more information from the people who need it most.
Members of the Qalipu Nation have been travelling across western Newfoundland with the Rural Development Network, a non-profit organization from Alberta that aims to support and amplify voices in Canada’s Indigenous communities.
Qalipu is one of six First Nations the network is partnering with to create what it’s calling the First Nation Housing Data Collection Tool, which health and wellness director Mitch Blanchard says will help them better understand where programs and resources should be developed.
“We want to make sure that we have the voices of our community members heard … and make sure that programs and services, you know, is targeting and meeting the community’s needs,” Blanchard said Tuesday. “This is their voices, their stories, which is a different approach from other researches that we’ve done in the past.”
Taylor Sparklingeyes, the data collection project manager, said initial responses have gone over quite well. More than 50 people have already shared their stories, she said, with affordability and a connection to cultural lands emerging as themes.
“”It’s definitely very different perspectives from the different communities so far that we’ve engaged with. It’s very interesting to hear what different struggles they have in different locations across Newfoundland,” she said”It’s definitely very different perspectives from the different communities so far that we’ve engaged with. It’s very interesting to hear what different struggles they have in different locations across Newfoundland,” she said. “There’s really nowhere for members to go connect and be one with nature, which you know, that in itself is a form of homelessness. That loss of connection to our culture and our traditional ways of living.”
Taylor Sparklingeyes
Sparklingeyes said the goal of the data tool is for gather grassroots information that can be handed off to First Nations like the Qalipu to give them the power to make their own decisions on policy and programs. “There are so many different forms of homelessness that First Nations people experience that are often overlooked by, you know, these Western constructs of how the Canadian government defines homelessness,” she said.
“Really understanding it from a culturally appropriate lens will amplify and provide accurate data around … how some of our people are living.”
The final session wrapped up in Stephenville on Tuesday, and data collection in other regions will continue in the fall.
The war in Ukraine has resulted in the largest human displacement crisis in the world today, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). To date, there are an estimated 5.9 million internally displaced people in Ukraine, nearly 8 million refugees from Ukraine have been recorded in neighbouring countries and across Europe, and approximately 17.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance this year (UNHCR).
To help Ukrainian nationals and their family members find safety in Canada, the federal government launched the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program in March 2022, which is an accelerated temporary residence pathway for Ukrainians fleeing war. As of the end of May 2023, there were 157,885 individuals who arrived in the country under CUAET (Government of Canada), and 31,000 Ukrainians have registered with Alberta Health across 194 communities (Ukrainians in Alberta).
Recognizing that communities outside the seven major city centers in Alberta have limited resources, capacity and knowledge regarding the needs of Ukrainian evacuees, the Rural Development Network (RDN), together with Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative (MCHB) and Action for Healthy Communities (AHC), applied for funding from the Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA) to address this need. The successful proposal’s, Increasing Community Understanding of Ukrainian Evacuees, goal was to build the capacity of rural communities to better support Ukrainian evacuees through the delivery of a virtual workshop series.
There were four workshops delivered in a span of four months – from February to May 2023. Each workshop was delivered virtually twice per month. Below is a summary of each workshop and what was covered.
In the first workshop, we discussed the extent and scope of the Ukrainian refugee crisis, the long-term impact the conflict has had on Ukrainians; federal and provincial government supports available for evacuees, and we provided a working understanding of the CUAET program. The session was led by Lori Shortreed, Consultant for MCHB.
“Thank you for putting together the series, always good to have more information to better serve clients.”
The second workshop, also led by Lori, focused on models of healthy integration and settlement of evacuees through social inclusion such as cultural brokering and contextual layers model, a framework for learning more about individuals and families who have come to Canada. Part of the discussion was looking at the protective and risk factors during the pre-migration and migration stages of the evacuees. At the end of the sessions, two cultural brokers from MCHB shared how they effectively support the settlement of Ukrainian newcomers.
“I learned new approaches and ideas for connecting our Ukrainian clients with the community in meaningful ways and better leveraging the support systems in our community more.”
In this workshop, Karin Linschoten, Training and Outreach Coordinator with the MCHB gave a thought-provoking discussion on the internal experience of someone fleeing war and the impact on behaviour and perception, how trauma develops, symptoms of trauma in adults and children, how to better communicate with and support trauma survivors, and strategies in supporting survivors in rural communities.
“I really enjoyed this workshop, it was easy to understand and helped me understand more about the brain’s function in trauma and then the practical elements of how to support someone. I will certainly use this in my work with clients.”
The last workshop was led by Lisa de Gara, Rural Small Centres Manager with the AHC. Points of discussion were:
“I have gotten so much information that I thought I knew but did not…and my best takeaway is the resources that I can provide to the Ukrainian clients to help them thrive in Canada.”
Our workshop series attracted a total of 143 individuals, with 85 attending at least one workshop. The project reached 23 communities across Alberta that included Banff, Brooks, Consort, Devon, Drumheller, Innisfail, Provost, Wainwright, and many more! Other Canadian provinces such as Manitoba, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Nova Scotia were also represented by attendees. For those who attended these workshops, their places of work were typically in settlement organizations, learning centres, multicultural councils, public libraries, private colleges, different forms of governments, school divisions, legal clinics and other non-profits.
Overall, participants expressed their appreciation for the workshops prepared which have been helpful in understanding the Ukrainian evacuees’ experiences, needs and challenges to better support them in their communities. Our participants’ feedback is a testament that the delivery of the workshop series achieved its goal – building the capacity of all interested and affected parties to better understand the pre- and post-settlement realities of evacuees, a further understanding of the CUAET program, and cultural and trauma-informed education to successfully support the integration and settlement of Ukrainian evacuees across Alberta.
The project has been an incredible success thanks to the powerful partnership between RDN, MCHB and AHC. This collaboration truly exemplifies the importance of working together across different sectors. RDN’s expertise in rurality, MCHB’s expertise in community development, and AHC’s expertise in providing settlement services have synergized perfectly, allowing us to develop the workshop series through multiple lenses. Here are quotes that our partner organizations shared:
“As a professional working in rural settlement, I know that the needs of immigrants in small communities are frequently overlooked. When those immigrants are in crisis and a constantly changing environment, as was true for the Ukrainian arrivals through CUAET, the work becomes even more challenging! I was very thankful that RDN stepped up to the plate to offer coordination of workshops to teach about the new arrivals and how we can support them effectively in communities throughout Alberta and Canada at large.” – Lisa de Gara, Manager, Small Centres, Action for Healthy Communities.
“The Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative Ltd. are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the RDN and Action for Healthy Communities in this innovative project to engage with and bolster rural community efforts to support Ukrainian evacuees arriving in their communities. In this unprecedented situation, projects such as this help us all to collaborate in creating holistic approaches to settlement – and beyond – that truly meet evacuee and other newcomer needs and in doing so lay the ground for socially inclusive communities across Canada. Thank you!” – Lori Shortreed, Consultant for MCHB.
Again, we’d like to thank our funders – AAISA and the Government of Alberta as its funding partner, our partner organizations – MCHB and AHC, and all participants who took the time to attend the workshop series!
For more information on this project, please reach out to Elaine Flores at elainef@ruraldevelopment.ca.
In early June, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, federal Minister of Rural Economic Development, organized and co-chaired a meeting on rural economic development, attended by federal, provincial, and territorial ministers, Indigenous leaders, and rural economic development experts. Delegates spent two days discussing how to improve rural and remote economic development policy and programming, with the goal to catalyze action to advance a path forward for rural economic development priorities in Canada on shared areas of importance.
The Rural Development Network’s CEO, Dee Ann Benard, participated in a panel designed to explore the key drivers for rural revitalization and economic opportunity from a community perspective, including identifying ways to seize economic growth through a variety of economic drivers such as tourism, infrastructure, housing, and supporting small to medium-sized enterprises.
Rural revitalization can be supported by: Improving data collection, supporting more holistic approaches to community development, building capacity, ensuring that there is municipal funding for implementation (not just planning), and allowing more flexibility and longer timelines to achieve goals.
A highlight of the FPT meeting was Minister Hutchings’ launch of the redesigned website, which will “guide rural Canadians to the programs, services and resources most relevant to them.”
Photo information: June 2, 2023, in Rocky Harbour, N.L. Hon. Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development (4th from the right), Dee Ann Benard, CEO of the Rural Development Network (2nd from the right), and Indigenous leaders, rural experts, and other Ministers.
As the cost of living and inflation rise in Canada, rural, remote, and Indigenous communities are often overlooked. Facing unique challenges especially in the areas of affordable housing and homelessness, communities are looking for solutions and opportunities for improvement. There is also a need to engage with rural areas across the country, as rural homelessness tends to be more hidden and organizations have limited capacity to respond to these issues.
To support organizations and communities with tackling these complex challenges, the Rural Development Network and the Rural Ontario Institute are hosting the Canadian Rural and Remote Housing and Homelessness Symposium (CRRHHS) this June 6-8. This conference is an important opportunity to not only gain valuable insights from industry leaders, but also to network with peers and continue those conversations.
Here are three ways the Symposium can support your organization and community with affordable housing and homelessness:
The CRRHHS provides an opportunity to connect with folks across Canada and engage in the rural perspective, providing thought-provoking dialogue and connections that will last far beyond the Symposium.
I can say with absolute certainty that it is the strategic partnerships we made at that conference, the advice of those already funded, the resources that continued to be provided post-conference, and the ongoing conversations after we returned home, that are the reasons we are fully funded today.
Glenn Alexander, Vice-President of the Southwest Youth Emergency Shelter, Inc.
There will be networking opportunities and a virtual exhibit hall for you to make lasting connections. When you attend the networking sessions, you will be speed matched with like-minded individuals to share and learn from each other, while the virtual exhibit hall allows you to experience more from our presenters and sponsors.
At this year’s symposium, you can hear and participate in and gain expertise from 50+ engaging, concurrent sessions that will dive into topics such as: Coordinated access, addressing the housing crisis, ending and preventing rural homelessness, affordable housing strategies and action plans, Indigenous reconciliation, rural youth homelessness, and much more.
We believe the 2023 CRRHHS will help communities successfully share best practices and innovative responses to housing and homelessness and will leave attendees feeling equipped and empowered to take what they have learned to respond to homelessness and the housing crisis in their own communities
Ellen Sinclair, Executive Director of the Rural Ontario Institute
Our keynote speakers this year will help you gain a deeper understanding of the issues that could be impacting your community through their powerful and inspiring stories of resilience, allowing you to grow your knowledge on what resources are available/needed for your community.
Our keynote speakers will be engaging and impactful and bring new perspectives
Dee Ann Benard, CEO of the Rural Development Network
One of our keynote speakers, Joe Roberts – the Skid Row CEO, will share how he maximized his second chance in life to create extraordinary business success after overcoming homelessness and drug addiction. Part of Joe’s success story includes how he triumphantly pushed a shopping cart a staggering 9,064 kilometers across Canada in the name of youth homelessness prevention. This very act birthed a national awareness campaign called The Push for Change, inspiring fellow Canadians to create ripple effects of transformation in the lives of at-risk youth throughout the country.
Watch Joe Robert’s personal invitation to this year’s CRRHHS.
View the full Symposium schedule and register today!
We have a jam-packed program available on our website so you can create your own custom agenda for the conference. Check out the full program!
Register today on the CRRHHS website. Can’t make it June 6-8? No problem! You can still register until June 5 to access all recordings and presentations until August 5, 2023.
11443-143 Street,
NW Edmonton,
Alberta T5M 1V7
