As you may already know, the Sharp Foundation is a Calgary-based non-profit charitable organization with a mandate to provide a ‘holistic’ (medical, physical, psychosocial and spiritual) continuum of care to people living with HIV or AIDS.

The Foundation has operated since the early 1990’s under the unifying belief that each person living with HIV/AIDS deserves dignity and the right to receive the support that they need. It is an incredible task to provide for those who, in some cases, are nearing the end of their life due to the disease.

For the first time the Provincial Government has moved to acknowledge the immense cost and man power required to run an operation of this nature. Through housing and internal affairs, the government has approved 1.4 million dollars for the SHARP Foundation to acquire eight units (one and two bedroom suites), in an apartment style complex. Once completed, the structure will be called Independence House and will also provide services such as nurse’s therapy and full time peer support.

This will become a long term care center with an extra emphasis on those who are in need of low income housing, a dilemma often ignored in Calgary. In fact, the SHARP Foundation has always made an effort to accommodate these individuals. In 2006, the Alberta Council in HIV did study that found approximately 75% of people living with HIV were below the poverty line, and their primary needs were safe and affordable housing. Now, the SHARP Foundation is looking to build stronger, valuable partnerships with Alberta Services Harm Reduction, The Drop In Center, C.U.P.S, and other agencies that work with the homeless – simply because an increasing number of their referrals are coming from the homeless sector.

Independence House will include communal spaces to create opportunities for residents to socialize with their peers, which can be very therapeutic. It stems the tendency to retreat from the world for fear of stigma and discrimination. It has been shown that living in a homey environment with long term care options can greatly improve their clients’ quality of life, and in some cases, their chances for recovery.

“This is an exciting project; it almost doubles the size of the Foundation’s resources and services available to the clients,” said Floyd Visser, Executive Director of the SHARP Foundation. “This will be more targeted towards long term rather than traditional housing and make them feel at home. It is important to keep them in a stress minimizing environment as well as creates a place to socialize.”

This funding from the Provincial Government has been made possible with the exiting partnership that the Sharp Foundation had forged with the Calgary Housing Association. The funds are being matched by Calgary Housing Company for the structure and its construction.

The Sharp Foundation is in the process of working with architects to draw up plans for the facility. “The designs that we’ve seen so far are really exciting,” says Visser. “It has been community collaboration with the area where the structure is being placed, with the clients and the Calgary Housing Association; we are trying to engage the community as much as possible.”

The project is scheduled to be completed in 2012 in conjunction with The SHARP Foundation’s 20th anniversary. Until then, SHARP will be extremely busy working on organizing the interior furnishing and stocking the new building with all the necessities for opening day. The Foundation is looking to improve the service-oriented side of the organization. This new building will be an opportunity to improve the lives of many members of the community and increase awareness.

The Director of Calgary Housing states, “We want people living in this building to be recognized as living in a great building, rather than living with HIV.”

This project brings an overwhelming feeling of hope. For the SHARP Foundation and those they serve, the future looks bright.