Homelessness in Calgary is changing amidst the city’s affordability crisis. Increasingly, it can look like families moving from one short-term rental to another or shifting from shelter to shelter. It’s a situation Ismail knows well.

“We were able to get into a shelter, and we stayed there for about a year. The reason we had to stay for so long, even though it’s meant to be a short-term shelter, was because we went from subsidized housing to a market where we were expected to pay upwards of $3,000 for a two-bedroom apartment, which was just impossible for our family.”

Raised by a single mother, Ismail faced affordability issues and financial and social barriers to finishing high school. However, those factors didn’t stop the 2024 Lord Beaverbrook grad from thriving, thanks to the All In for Youth Success Coach program, supported by United Way of Calgary and Area and Trellis Society.

Finding All In for Youth at Lord Beaverbrook High School was a game changer. Guidance and support from her success coach helped Ismail deal with the stigma of her situation and galvanized her to do better.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: Calgary student overcomes homelessness and hardship to pursue her dreams | Calgary Herald