Happy holidays message from CAHF CEO and Board Chair
Dear all,
On behalf of Calgary Affordable Housing Foundation (CAHF), we would like to wish you and your families the very best as we head into holiday season.
We thank you for your support of CAHF over the past year as we have worked to raise launch funds and hire our CEO. We are now moving into operations and we look forward to partnering with housing organizations across Calgary to raise philanthropic capital and help accelerate the building of more affordable homes.
There are currently thousands of Calgarians who need access to affordable housing. They are living in sub-optimal situations or spending high percentages of their income on housing. This can lead to negative impacts on health, mental wellness, access to employment and education opportunities, and other societal issues. At minimum, Calgary needs about 2,500 additional affordable homes built each year.
CAHF is working to help connect affordable housing providers with philanthropic capital. Access to this capital will, in turn, help housing providers access government grants and get housing projects built and ready for move in. CAHF’s vision is that Everyone in Calgary has a place to call home.
This holiday season, we ask you to share the word about the need for more affordable housing. We urge you to talk about it at your family dinner tables and in your social circles, and to help those around you learn more about the need. There are many organizations and individuals committed to improving access to housing in Calgary, including many of you. We will need all of us working together to ensure that everyone has access to affordable housing. We are grateful for your partnership, and we are honoured to be working alongside all of you. Please reach out if you would like to connect with us directly in the new year.
We wish you peace and joy this holiday season.
Sincerely,
David McElhanney, Board Chair
Mike Meldrum, CEO
CAHF participates in City housing conference
CAHF CEO Mike Meldrum joins City housing conference as panelist
CAHF CEO Mike Meldrum participated in the City of Calgary’s Housing Partnerships Conference. The conference is held annually to observe National Housing Day and to support dialogue and collaboration in support of Calgary’s affordable housing crisis.
The theme of this year’s conference was Housing Partnerships: Working Together to Address Calgary’s Housing Crisis. Mike was one of the panel speakers in a breakout session called Housing Policies and Partnerships that Work, and explored the impact of housing policy and how partnerships can strengthen access to housing supply and services.
CAHF’s model focuses on partnerships. CAHF partners with organizations that build and operate affordable housing. CAHF raises the philanthropic capital, allowing housing providers to focus on what they do best – build and operate affordable homes.
“It was an honour to participate on the panel and meet with other Calgarians committed to addressing a significant challenge in Calgary,” said Mike. “There is momentum within Calgary to streamline processes and ensure that housing providers have community support to build new units. CAHF will connect philanthropic dollars in the community to critical affordable housing projects while supporting and advocating for the affordable housing ecosystem.”