Coordinated Entry
Distress Centre’s Coordinated Entry program provides multiple programs and services at the location of SORCe. All aspects of the program use a housing-focused approach to support people experiencing or facing homelessness. This program directly provides supports beyond system navigation & referral to holistically support housing, health, finances and community connection.
Services are offered on a walk-in basis at SORCe.
SORCe is located on the north side of the City Hall LRT platform at:
#2 – 316 7 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0J2
WALK-IN HOURS: Monday-Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
In 2022, Coordinated Entry served 3,741 unique individuals and families, providing 20,806 unique services.
Coordinated Entry Programs and Services:
Coordinated Access and Assessment (CAA): The primary first point of contact for people experiencing or facing homelessness.
- When someone first enters SORCe, they’ll be greeted by a System Navigator and Resource Specialist. This person will build rapport, assess areas of need, provide information and connect to resources both at SORCe and in the community
- Housing Strategists act as the entry point for supportive housing services through the Calgary Homeless Foundation. They’ll complete a Needs & Services Questionnaire with the program participant, develop an individualized housing plan and provide information and navigation support to address other needs and issues
- In 2022, 1,474 housing assessments or updates and 9,791 housing check-ins were completed
- The CAA team’s Prevention & Diversion program is focused on helping individuals at risk of homelessness or who have recently entered into homelessness by connecting them to resources, helping with system navigation, and goal planning to avoid homelessness. The intention for this program is to keep the experience of homelessness is as short as possible, prevent unsheltered homelessness and prevent people from becoming unhoused.
- The CAA team also supports the Communications Hub at SORCe, offering a place for people to access phones and computers – this access is a lifeline for someone who does not have a phone or computer in an increasingly tech-reliant world
- The ID Replacement program assists individuals in obtaining government-issued identification. Having identification allows someone to access benefits and services and is necessary to obtain things like income support, employment and housing
- The Housing Strategists at Distress Centre also provide Housing Strategist Training to community partners, increasing overall coverage in Calgary
- 260 community partners were supported with training to become Housing Strategists in 2022
Financial Empowerment: Helps people experiencing or facing homelessness address financial instability through individualized financial education and coaching, assistance in completing taxes to access tax-related benefits and income support.
- In 2022, $1.7 million in taxation and benefits were received by Financial Empowerment program participants
“Super supportive, helpful, comfortable and safe. Thank you for being such a great agency and staff.”
Impact Story – Mark
“Mark” visited SORCe three times in July 2022 to use the Communications Hub. Mark had a long history with the criminal justice system, experienced multiple and lengthy periods of homelessness, and was currently recovering from a brain injury resulting from a severe assault earlier in the year. Distress Centre team members assisted Mark in re-initiating AISH, securing temporary accommodation, accessing his personal identification and accessing emergency food support. The team assisted Mark in relocating to another city where he had access to accommodation and support through the community. He left for his new home at the end of July.
About SORCe:
The Safe Communities Opportunity and Resource Centre, or SORCe, is not itself an agency, but rather a multi-agency collaborative. Working out of a single location, agencies work together to connect individuals and families experiencing or facing homelessness with programs and services that can assist them. By bringing together multiple agencies and programs in a single location, SORCe strives to connect each client to all necessary programs and services to address the individual and complex needs of each client that comes in the door.
