A trio of grassroots outreach organizations that serve people experiencing homelessness in Calgary are urgently searching for a new home after being told to vacate a city-owned building by the end of the year. BeTheChangeYYC, a volunteer-driven group that provides food, clothing, hygiene supplies and referrals on the streets, has operated for the past five years out of the former Calgary Police Service administration building at 316 7 Ave. S.E., located along the downtown CTrain line. The space is also home to the SORCe and the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary, but neither organization was available for an interview. City administration has indicated the property is being prepared for disposal, forcing tenants to leave. Chief executive officer and BeTheChange YYC founder Chaz Smith says the organization was formally notified by the city in a July 22 letter to tenants of the building that it would need to vacate by Dec. 31. “A lot of the things that we do prevents crimes of poverty,” he said. “So changing our operations like this will directly affect community members downtown and local businesses when people experiencing homelessness already have nowhere else to go and with other services becoming fragmented.” The organization adds that losing its operational base comes when demand is growing and winter conditions are already putting vulnerable Calgarians at risk. “We’ve already been seeing cases of frostbite and hypothermia for over a month,” said Smith. “So we’re continuing to provide those emergency essentials like the gloves and the jackets. We have been implementing our emergency weather response and giving that warm winter gear at the highest possible capacity we can right now.” A decade of outreach and growing pressure Founded more than 10 years ago, BeTheChangeYYC focuses on street-level outreach, delivering meals, winter clothing and hygiene kits, while connecting people with community supports. The organization works primarily in Calgary’s downtown core, meeting people where they are. Smith says the group has increasingly been relied upon as part of the city’s broader emergency and public safety response, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and periods of extreme weather. “We’ve been not just a social service agency, but a public safety partner with the City of Calgary,” Smith said. According to the organization, its outreach teams served unhoused Calgarians tens of thousands of times last year, helping reduce reliance on police, courts and emergency health care. Smith says the organization has spent months trying to find a suitable alternative location, ideally near downtown or along the CTrain line to ensure accessibility for outreach teams, but continues to strike out. “We’ve connected with many different landlords and agents to try and find appropriate space and so far, we just haven’t found it.” He says outreach to city councillors, the mayor’s office and city administration has yielded few concrete options. “A lot of the advice from the city that I have been given is just to connect with other non-profits,” Smith said. “With the sense of urgency that we have, I would hope that city council, the mayor and administration has that same urgency.” Building at risk of failure: City of Calgary City officials cited concerns in the July 22 letter about aging infrastructure and the cost of maintaining the former police building as reasons for proceeding with its sale. “The Block 40 building systems are becoming increasingly unreliable, with the potential for increased safety risks for staff and clients,” the letter reads. “We appreciate the challenges of securing a new space, and this timeframe enables tenants to continue to provide services and plan for an alternate location.” The city’s real estate team notes that the building will undergo a further review, but no progress has been made in helping the current tenants find a replacement location. “While the city is not responsible for sourcing new space for tenants, we did review our current inventory of vacant buildings and were unable to identify a suitable alternative,” the team said in an email. “Unfortunately, we rarely have available facilities that meet these needs. We encourage organizations to explore partnerships with community associations and social recreation groups, which may have underutilized space available.” Ward 7 Coun. Myke Atkinson told CTV News that his office is actively working with the city toward finding a solution. “We’ve been in touch with administration to make sure that we’re trying to prioritize this work and try to help to find them another home within the downtown so they can continue doing the great work they’ve been doing,” he said. “I mean obviously there is a possibility to potentially try and tap in to a private land owner to help out, but that’s not something that the city really has control over. So we’re looking at if there are other ways that we can use some city-owned buildings in the same way.” Community call as deadline approaches With the end-of-year deadline looming, Smith says BeTheChangeYYC is developing contingency plans to avoid a full shutdown, but acknowledges disruptions may be unavoidable without immediate support. “We don’t want to stop our operations,” he said. “While at the same time, we acknowledge that this has progressed.” He says even temporary or reduced-cost space could buy critical time while the organization searches for a permanent home. “We’re reaching out to our community at a wider base,” Smith said. “Maybe somebody has underutilized space throughout the downtown core, surrounding areas, and they can support us with that.” Fundraising efforts are also continuing, including seasonal campaigns to help offset potential rental costs at a new location. Despite the uncertainty, Smith says the organization remains committed to continuing street-level outreach for as long as possible. “We’re continuing our operations, our fundraising, and street-level outreach,” he said. “And we just hope to be able to continue doing that without any disruptions to our programming.” Smith says anyone able to help, whether through space, partnerships or financial support, is encouraged to come forward as the organization races against the clock to secure its future.
