On September 16, 2025, the CREB® REALTOR® Community Foundation awarded Community Grants totalling $197,675, which is $80,000 more than in 2024. The grants pay for major repairs and renovations to existing housing and shelters.
Who received grants
- Society for Autism Support and Services (SASS), founded in 1972, will replace bedroom windows in its Out-of-Home Living Program building to improve safety, privacy and energy efficiency.
- Inn from the Cold will upgrade the boiler room, HVAC and security at Journey House, a 10-unit affordable housing complex for families.
- Unison Society, which serves people over 50, will renovate the laundry room at its Elder Abuse Shelter for seniors.
- Discovery House will upgrade the HVAC system at its shelter, built in 2002, which supports about 600 people a year, mostly children.
Foundation chair Christian Twomey said every CREB REALTOR® contributes to the foundation and takes pride in helping charities that provide “safe, stable housing to those who need it most.”
Why it matters: this is the foundation’s second large award in 2025 after the $1 million Legacy Grant in June. Repairs keep existing affordable units in use while new supply is built.
Why repairs matter
Community Grants are aimed at major repairs and renovations to existing housing or shelters, with the goal of keeping people housed in their communities. That makes them different from the $1 million Legacy Grant the foundation awarded in June for a new building. Both streams are funded by the foundation, to which every CREB REALTOR® contributes.
CREB® foundation Community Grant total
The projects in more detail
The Society for Autism Support and Services offers early intervention, ECS programs, out-of-home living placements, life skills training and vocational programs. Executive director Kim Ward said new energy-efficient windows will reduce utility costs and allow more resources to go to programming.
Inn from the Cold supports families facing homelessness with emergency and transitional shelter and help finding stable housing. CEO Heather Morley said CREB REALTORS® “have stood beside us for many years.”
Unison Society serves people over 50. President and CEO Larry Mathieson said its Elder Abuse Shelter is a “critical safe haven for seniors experiencing abuse,” and that the laundry room renovation is critical for daily living, hygiene and dignity.
Discovery House has served women and children leaving domestic violence for more than 40 years. Its shelter has two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments, a childcare centre, counselling rooms and a courtyard with a play area. The HVAC upgrade is meant to prevent disruptions for the families who use it.
What it means for Calgary
Calgary’s resale market is far more balanced than a year ago, with 6,661 homes for sale in August, but that does not help families in crisis. Keeping existing shelter and affordable units safe and working is often the fastest way to protect that supply.
What it means for buyers and sellers
The grants are funded by REALTORS® in Calgary and the surrounding area. For anyone choosing an agent, this is one way the local industry gives back to the city where it works.
Local angle
All four organizations work in Calgary, so the money stays in the city’s own housing and shelter system.
The buildings being repaired
The projects share a common thread: ageing buildings that need work to stay safe. The Society for Autism Support and Services, founded in 1972, is replacing bedroom windows in the building used for its Out-of-Home Living Program. Inn from the Cold’s Journey House is a 10-unit affordable housing complex. Discovery House’s shelter was built in 2002 and supports about 600 people a year, most of them children. Christian Twomey said these organizations are “making a meaningful difference every single day.”
