RDN manages the Rural and Remote funding in Alberta for Reaching Home, the new federal homelessness prevention and reduction strategy that began in April 2019. Our team administers funding and provides support for municipalities, non-profits, First Nation communities and Métis Settlements that are working on homelessness projects located outside the seven major cities in Alberta. RDN managed a total of 32 projects over five years for the predecessor to Reaching Home: the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, serving as the Community Entity for Alberta's Rural and Remote funding since 2013.
Since Reaching Home launched in 2019, the program has expanded significantly thanks to additional investments by the federal government. Through Reaching Home, RDN has supported over 80 unique projects and distributed COVID-19 emergency funding to communities, shelters and organizations impacted by the pandemic. This funding has also allowed RDN to research how rural homelessness contributes to urban homelessness and develop educational and practical resources for rural and remote communities in Alberta and across the country.
