I am passionate about organizing, advocating, and coalition-building to solve the housing and homelessness crises in Calgary.

I started my journey doing development work in Tajikistan at a local grassroots organisation called Ilmhona doing tech education. As a foreigner working in Tajikistan, I had to learn to be a supporter rather than a leader. Having grown up in Canada, I felt it wasn’t my place to be the final decision-maker, so I worked in support roles, managing the finance and fundraising work as we grew our organization’s budget threefold.  I’ve always believed that for development to be sustainable, it needs to be led by local people who understand the context and are living with the issues and solutions.

 With that in mind, I decided to move back to my hometown, Calgary, to maximize my impact in the place I know best (while still maintaining a position on Ilmhona’s board of directors).  After a quick detour in the UK to complete my master’s in public policy, I started working to solve Calgary’s housing crisis, joining the Calgary Drop-In Centre, the largest homeless shelter in Alberta, as a Research and Policy Intern.

When Calgary City Council was debating a new Housing Strategy in autumn, I spoke both at a rally on the front steps of City Hall and inside council chambers urging our city to address our housing affordability crisis. The City Council ultimately passed this strategy, which will massively increase investment in affordable housing, increase the supply of the private rental market, and work with Indigenous communities to address housing reconciliation. 

 Since then, I’ve taken on a full-time role as a  Policy & Advocacy Specialist for the Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre Society, where I manage relations with government partners, build coalitions with other social services organizations, and manage research partnerships for the organization. I also get to further my passion for housing as an inaugural Board Member of More Neighbours Calgary, where I help guide the strategic direction of one of Calgary’s most vocal advocacy groups in the pro-housing movement. 

My desire for hyper-local impact has also led me to become the Vice-President of the Coach Hill Patterson Heights Community Association, where I plan community events, advocate on behalf of citizens, and am leading a reform of our community association’s by-laws to align better with principles of sustainable community growth.

Housing is so fundamental to the way individuals, families, and communities exist in our world. Housing is a basic need that so many other dimensions of wellness rely upon – from mental health to a sense of community and belonging, we all need housing. Particularly considering the harsh climate in Alberta, housing and homelessness are some of the most significant issues facing our province today.