CAIRN Housing Society
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Mission Statement
At Cairn Housing Society we aim to ensure our community is and inclusive, where all people have equitable access to opportunities and supports that foster a strong sense of connectedness. We reduce barriers to support diversity and inclusion, so that all individuals and families may reach their potential and live the lives of their choosing.
About This Cause
Here at the Cairn Housing Society, we believe in NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US. Therefore, the Cairn Housing Society was established so that the residents always have a say about the services they receive. We have Peer Engagement staff who live at the Cairn, and work at the Cairn Housing Society. Peer support is rapidly becoming one of the most valued, accepted, and effective approaches to assist people who experience mental health, physical health, addictions issues and homelessness. It is unique because it fosters values including self determination and equality, mutuality and empathy, recovery, and hope. This approach can take many forms such as peer support groups, one to one meeting, support in employment, and creative activities. The evidence for peer support in mental health and addictions has developed rapidly over the past decade. Studies have show that agencies utilizing Peer Support have better outcomes than agencies who use traditional services only. It is important to remove unconscious biases and ensure everyone is standing equal to one another. The Peers who work at the Cairn receive training and support along with other team members. Each floor at the Cairn has a floor Peer who checks in on the general wellness of the people living there and promotes engagement, recovery, over all good will, and community interactions. Most housing and homelessness services, such as Housing First, are reactive services that start working with people after they have become homeless. Prevention focuses on people at imminent risk of homelessness, rapidly re-housing them or supporting them to stay housed. Prevention and diversion services can help communities reduce the size of their homelessness and stop people from entering or re-entering an already overburdened system. Systemically, we need to look at the effects on each part of our community and make long term positive investments to those experiencing homelessness and prevent more people from entering homelessness. Alberta’s homelessness response states this as a complex problem that must be flexible, adaptable and have a range of services to meet unique needs. The Provincial Affordable Housing Strategy sets a path for sustainable affordable housing that will make life better for Albertans now and in the future by: Building more affordable housing for those who need it Giving tenants the tools, they need to be successful and encourage them to improve their financial circumstances Helping seniors age in their community Providing housing service providers with sustainable funding Through research, and co-design the Cairn was built to address all the items listed in the Strategy. Systematic thinking and planning have led to our unique programing as we have seen the need in our community and the people have clearly indicated what sustainable, safe affordable housing should be. Rents are averaging 20% below market value. We also provide food, clothing, furniture, cleaning supplies, work, education, and volunteer opportunities which all help address financial circumstances. A top outcome from our research is the loss of connectedness and sense of belonging for people and we know recovery does not mean recovery from addictions only but recovery in all areas of their lives. We work with people to be invested in their community with a sense of purpose, run recovery programs uniquely tailored to need, health and wellness programs, cultural programs, work programs, arts and crafts, cooking, restorative yoga, and community engagement activities which have brought pivotal changes to people’s lives. Our community garden is there for those who love to garden or would like to learn. Our computer space allows people to have free access to technology for a variety of needs. People who have complex needs have been successful maintaining their housing because they are integrated into the Cairn community, gain a sense of connectedness and purpose. People also learn that how they conduct themselves has an impact on others living at the Cairn, and we start to see a change in choices being made. We know that addiction is a mechanism for traumatized people to soothe their pain. Therefore, the war on drugs is a war on traumatized people and we need to stop. This year we have had increasing challenges with food security, mental illness, and an increase in substance abuse and addictions. Over 50% of the people who left the CAIRN this year were because of worsening financial situations, mental illness or addiction issues. We believe many of these evictions/losses were preventable. We provide supports to prevent people from requiring high-cost alternatives including returning to Homelessness or Inadequate Housing, Emergency Services, Hospitalization, Incarceration, or death. Residents, commercial tenants, volunteers, volunteer professionals, and community support, have allowed us to come this far and has enabled our residents to do more in our community, including helping to prepare meals for other programs and volunteering to support other agencies in Grande Prairie. The last two years have been exceptionally hard, losing many of our core/original residents and supporters. On a positive note, some of these people purchased homes or transitioned into full market housing. Tragically, more of our neighbors have passed away, struggled with mental illness, worsening physical illness, or an increase in substance abuse and addictions. This has left a large hole in our community, with many people grieving these losses. This has further highlighted the implementation for a structured support system. It is difficult to estimate Public Cost Savings with a unique program, such as the one in the CAIRN. Studies have shown a 2:1 savings of public funds for every dollar properly spent on supporting vulnerable populations. As we have been funding this work ourselves, we will be very fiscally responsible in its implementation. We have conservatively estimated the public fund savings. Estimated Savings based on reduced Emergency/Response Spending $698,000 Yearly Homelessness and Inadequate Housing impacts everyone through the cost of the following: • Emergency Services • Emergency Shelters • Institutional Health • Psychiatric Services • Criminal Justice We run daily supports and services which help residents with varying needs and also include food security, the work program, Community Engagement, Peer Support, and Clinical Support. We run ongoing weekly, monthly, and quarterly programs such as but not limited to Building Healthy Boundaries, Confront the Discomfort, Namaste Café, The Art of Friendship, Person Centered Thinking, One Page Profiles, Recovery and Trauma Informed Yoga, The Virtues Project, Colors Spectrum, Cross Cultural Training.