With a rise in the number of families without shelter, St. Gemma Outreach High School supports up-to 30 students through flexible programming and services like meals and counselling.

VCC's Meaghon Reid discussed how the affordable housing crisis is impacting children with the Calgary Herald. “There is nowhere for families to find money in their budgets anymore. It means parents are under serious stress, and children, who may be waking up in a van in the morning and living in situations that are not at all conducive to studying, those effects are profound and long lasting,” said Meaghon.

“We are quite aware of people who have been in these situations for a long time, and many can navigate the system, they know where to access support. But I am increasingly worried about families who are finding themselves in this situation for the first time, and they may not know how to ask for help until it is too late. In a country, in a province, where we have so much money, this is just not acceptable,” she said.

Read the full article: Unique school works to stem 'escalating crisis' of Calgary students facing poverty, homelessness