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A community where everyone has a safe, secure place to call home.
Providing housing stability to people who are homeless or hard to house, giving them the opportunity to transition to a better life.
WHAT WE DO
SURVIVAL MINDSET TO STABILITY MINDSET
Supportive Housing
Located in Whitecourt, the mini village model provides opportunity for residents to rebuild beneficial lifestyle habits and community socialization in a safe environment.
- Shelter alone is not sufficient. Support programs promoting self care are critical to address the unique challenges faced by people with multiple hard-to-house traits.
- Offering support without providing a stable home environment is also inadequate. A safe, stable place to call home is essential for a person to resolve or manage multiple hard-to-house traits.
MEASURABLE SUCCESS
To achieve measurable success, it is imperative that both shelter and support solutions are made accessible.
Transitional Housing
SESS is structured as a mini village. 32 rooms are available for adult individual rooms. The yard includes raised garden beds, picnic tables, and a fire pit. Residents have opportunity to connect with nature, socialize and pursue activities in a variety of ways.
Read more about our Transitional Housing
10 Program Rooms are also provided including:
- Community kitchen
- Friendship Room - set up as a café for eating and meetings
- Laundry Room
- Resource Room
- Media Room
- Serenity Room
- Physical Wellness Room
- Workshop Room
- Smoke Shack
- Emergency Housing Room - a program intervention room for residents only
Outreach Services
SESS services are provided to residents as well as community members who are unhoused or struggling in insecure housing circumstances.
Read more about our Outreach Services
LOOKING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
HELP US ESTABLISH LONG TERM STABILITY
Here are four simple ways you can help SESS right now.
Gift a Financial Donation
A financial gift helps us continue making a difference — every dollar counts!
Gift an Item from our Donations Wish List
Help meet our needs by gifting an item from our wish list.
Drop off at 3515 Caxton St in Whitecourt.
Gift your Support
February 22, 2025
Thank you to everyone that supported CNOY 2025! You can still donate.
Buy a $20 Duck!
Duck Derby takes place August 20, 2025
1st Place: $2500
2nd Place: $1250
3rd Place: $500
Free family event with food, games and more! Follow Facebook for more details.
THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW
UNDERSTANDING HARD-TO-HOUSE TRAITS
Members of our community who struggle to have safe and secure housing typically have multiple Hard-To-House traits. A key trait is not having family or friendship support. Being alone and isolated exasperates challenges and blocks resolutions. It is essential for people to live in community.
Hard-To-House Traits include:
- Lack esteem in their identity
- Socially disconnected
- Emotionally unsafe or insecure
- Physically unhealthy
- No housing or unstable housing
- Living in poverty
- Unable to be an employee
- Culturally devastated
- Cognitive challenges
- Lacking artistic, hobby or recreation opportunity
- Spiritual oppression
- Lacking skills to care for property and belongings
HOUSING DEFINITIONS
Homelessness
The situation of an individual or family without stable, safe, permanent, appropriate housing, or the immediate prospect, means and ability of acquiring it.
Unsheltered
Staying in places not designed or fit for human habitation.
Includes living in:
- forests
- makeshift cardboard shelters
- tents
- vehicles
Emergency Sheltered
Staying in a facility clustered with others who are also not able to secure permanent housing.
Includes programs facilities for:
- night hours only
- family members impacted by family violence
- people fleeing natural/home disasters.
Provisionally Accommodated
Staying in a temporary housing arrangement that does not offer permanent, secure housing. Includes:
- transitional housing
- other people’s housing closets or sofas
- a rental arrangement that lacks continuing residency
- institutional care facilities
- reception centers for immigrants & refugees
At-Risk of Homelessness
Living in housing situations that dangerously lacks security or stability due to external hardships including:
- poverty
- personal crisis
- discrimination
- unsanitary or overcrowded circumstances
- precarious employment
- sudden unemployment
- facing eviction
- breakdown in family relations
- living with violence
At-risk of homelessness includes persons with persistent:
- mental health illness
- active addictions
- behavior challenges
Housing First
A service approach that prioritizes providing housing to people who are homeless without pre-conditions such as sobriety, finances, or medical stability. Only when the basic need of shelter is in place, can individuals work on their wellness and quality of life challenges.
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO
IT WORKS
We are a community that simply reminds people they are never alone.
I feel human again.
-25 Year Old Male
I just got old and problems grew. If not at Eagle's Nest, I would probably be living on the street.
-Senior Citizen Male
I finally have a home.
-Male in his 40s
Resident Demographics
January 2024
77% Men
23% Women
26% Seniors <55 Yrs
19% Young Adults >30 Yrs
29% Indigenous