Strengthening families. Transforming lives.

Creating Hope. Achieving Stability.

Helping families overcome the obstacles that can lead to a cycle of homelessness — that’s what we strive to do with every family that asks Inn from the Cold for help.

25 Years Of Family

For over 25 years, Inn from the Cold has been helping vulnerable families find stability in times of crisis. As the largest organization in the Calgary region that is dedicated solely to families experiencing a housing crisis, we believe that a community where no child or family is homeless is possible.

To help bring our vision to life we provide three main programs: homelessness prevention and diversion, emergency family shelter, and supportive housing. Trauma-informed and housing-first principles guide everything we do and we strive to adapt our programs to meet the unique needs of each family we serve.

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Our Family Programs

We offer a range of holistic supports to strengthen families, create hope and achieve stability. Working with partner agencies, our family support team creates individualized plans to address each family’s specific needs for housing and social supports and help set them up for success on their journey to housing independence. Some of the supports we provide include child and youth programming, childcare, mental health and wellbeing support, Indigenous and cultural programming, employment and career counselling and legal aid.

Our Vision:

A community where no child or family is homeless

Our Mission:

We offer shelter, housing, and coordinated supports to help children and their families achieve independence.

Our Values:

Compassionate

We demonstrate kindness, caring, and a genuine motivation to help.

Accountable

We do what we say and conduct ourselves with integrity and openness.

Respectful

We hold ourselves and others in high regard and demonstrate this through our attitudes and behaviours.

Inclusive

We value the rich diversity of people and the right of all to participate fully, without fear or discrimination.

Courageous

We are brave and bold and stand strong in our representation for families.

Innovative

We strive to achieve positive and impactful change by building knowledge, pursuing new ideas, collaborating with others, and learning from our efforts.

Our History

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  • 1996/97 – The need

    The Inn began out of a community concern for the growing number of people facing homelessness during the bitterly cold winter.

  • Solving the challenge

    Volunteers from several local churches met to discuss how they could help.

  • In the beginning

    St. Stephen’s Anglican Church opened its doors to provide shelter and hope to Calgary’s vulnerable families and others in need.

  • From 1998 to 2007

    In the years following support grew with a number of inter-denominational churches, synagogues, mosques, community associations and organizations coming together to provide emergency shelter and resources for Calgarians experiencing homelessness.

  • A New Chapter

    In October, a new chapter unfolded where Inn from the Cold opened Calgary’s first Emergency Family Shelter, located in the heart of the Beltline community.

  • From 2008 to 2020

    Since then we have expanded our programs to offer holistic and supportive services that help a family wherever they are on their housing journey to get them back on their feet and into stable housing.

  • Project Thrive

    Inn from the Cold, partnering with HomeSpace Society, created Project Thrive; a campaign aimed at conversion of a vacant downtown office space into shelter and affordable housing for more than 180 Calgarians in need.

  • Moving Up

    Inn from the Cold moves into their new headquarters.