In June 2025, The Salvation Army opened 20 newly renovated transitional housing units for women at its West Campus in Calgary. The units are located across two buildings designed to provide safety, stability, and supportive community for women rebuilding their lives.

Through the Combatting Trafficking in Persons grant, The Salvation Army partners with the Government of Alberta to ensure five of these units are dedicated to survivors of human trafficking. Residents are referred through partnerships with local agencies and receive the full support of the Transitional Housing program along with specialized trauma informed care.

The opening was celebrated on June 19, 2025, with a Grand Re Opening event that brought together community leaders and partners. Guests included Elder Olivia Good Rider of the Siksika Nation, MLA Janet Eremenko, Mayor Jyoti Gondek, Carlene Donnelly, Co CEO of the Alberta Centre to End Human Trafficking, and Major Rob Kerr, Divisional Secretary of the Prairie and Northern Territories Division.

While these dedicated units support survivors directly, staff recognize that many individuals accessing Salvation Army services have experienced trafficking at some point in their lives, including women in the emergency shelter and broader transitional housing program, as well as some individuals in men’s programs.

Building Stability and Independence

Transitional housing provides an important step between emergency shelter and independent living. Participants have a private room and meals for a highly subsidized fee, allowing them to focus on healing and rebuilding their lives.

With housing and basic needs secured, women can concentrate on setting personal goals while accessing onsite supports. Over time, independence grows gradually as residents gain confidence, strengthen life skills, and begin preparing to move into their own homes within the community.

 

 
Anne’s Journey Toward Freedom

In February, the program celebrated an important milestone when the first resident from the Transitional Housing Program for Survivors of Human Trafficking moved into her own home in the community.

Anne, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, spent eight months in the program.

Like too many young girls, Anne experienced abuse early in life, leaving her emotionally vulnerable. By the age of fifteen she was struggling with an eating disorder, addiction, and legal troubles. During that time, an older boyfriend began exploiting her, introducing her to sex trafficking while manipulating her understanding of what was happening.

Reflecting on those years, Anne shares,"I was vulnerable because I wanted to be seen as beautiful on the outside, since I felt ugly on the inside. What seemed like kindness from men was really manipulation and control."

For years she tried to escape the cycle of addiction and violence, but the streets had become the only life she knew.

That began to change when local police, her family, and the RESET Society of Calgary helped her find a way forward. After completing recovery treatment, RESET connected Anne with The Salvation Army’s Transitional Housing program.

For the first time in many years, Anne had a room she could call her own.

The safety of that space allowed her to begin healing. She found employment she is proud of, developed supportive friendships, and continues working through the psychological impacts of trauma. Even simple decisions that many people take for granted, such as decorating her room or choosing what clothes to wear, became meaningful milestones.

Anne describes the experience as both empowering and overwhelming.

Learning to trust her own choices again has been part of the healing process.

Communal living has also been an important part of her journey. While each woman has her own unit, shared spaces encourage connection and support. For many residents, rebuilding healthy relationships and understanding what safe community looks like takes time.

Today, Anne hopes her story can encourage other women to believe that change is possible.

A Community of Support

The impact of the program can be felt in the words of another resident who joined the transitional housing program in 2025:

"I have been trying to find a home like this for a year. A place where I can relax, find peace, and make new friends who have similar goals so we can support one another."

Through safe housing, compassionate support, and strong community partnerships, The Salvation Army’s Transitional Housing program continues to provide survivors with the time and space they need to heal, rediscover their strengths, and begin building a future filled with hope.