Building stability before crisis: Bringing RentSmart to Calgary

Apr 1, 2026

At the Canadian Mental Health Association Calgary Region (CMHA Calgary), we see every day how closely housing and mental health are connected. When people have stable housing, everything else becomes more possible. Connection, recovery, and overall wellbeing all become easier to sustain.

That’s why we’re proud to be working alongside Community Housing Transformation Centre (the Centre) and the City of Calgary Home Program to bring RentSmart to Calgary.

This spring, RentSmart launches locally as a practical, trauma-informed tenant education program focused on helping tenants develop the skills and confidence to identify, secure, and maintain safe housing.

Supporting people earlier, closer to community

At CMHA Calgary, our focus is on early support. We aim to create space for people to access the right tools, information, and connection before challenges escalate.

RentSmart fits naturally within that approach.

As the local lead for RentSmart, we are working alongside community organizations across Calgary to support them in becoming RentSmart educators and delivering the program within their existing services.

Our role is not to provide housing placement or direct navigation. Instead, we focus on strengthening the broader system by equipping organizations and the people they serve with practical, prevention-focused tools that support long-term housing stability and wellbeing.

As our Executive Director, Linda McLean, shares:

“Strong communities are built on stable housing, connection, and access to the right supports at the right time. RentSmart reflects a shared commitment to prevention and to supporting people to stay well in their communities.”

What RentSmart offers

RentSmart is designed to be practical, relevant, and easy to integrate into real-world settings.

Using a Train-the-Trainer model, the program helps tenants build the knowledge, skills, and confidence to navigate housing successfully, while giving organizations a structured, evidence-based tool they can embed into their work.

The program includes:

• Six core modules covering housing basics, applications, rights and responsibilities, financial management, communication, and home maintenance
• Trauma-informed teaching strategies that meet people where they are
• Guidance grounded in Alberta’s Residential Tenancies Act
• A verifiable certificate participants can share with landlords as part of their rental reference

The curriculum has been refreshed to reflect the realities of Calgary’s rental market, with local input gathered through community engagement supported by CMHA Calgary.

Building confidence, not dependency

RentSmart is designed to support both organizations and the people they serve without adding new layers of service.

For frontline staff and educators, it provides practical tools they can apply directly in their work, from tenancy knowledge to facilitation skills.

For organizations, it offers a ready-to-use program that strengthens housing stability, reduces eviction risk, and supports better long-term outcomes.

Most importantly, it keeps the focus on tenant agency. It equips renters with the tools to make informed decisions, advocate for themselves, and maintain housing over time.

A stronger, more connected system

This work is grounded in partnership.

As Kayley Harding, Education Specialist from the Centre has shared, strong local collaboration is key to making RentSmart meaningful and sustainable. Calgary has a real opportunity to embed this approach across the sector in a way that is consistent, practical, and rooted in community.

For CMHA Calgary, this is a natural extension of our role as a community-based organization. We focus on helping people access support earlier, strengthening local systems, and working alongside partners to create lasting impact.

Get involved

We’re currently connecting with organizations across Calgary that are interested in becoming RentSmart educators.

If your team works with tenants and wants to strengthen housing outcomes, we’d love to connect.

• rentsmart.inquiries@cmha.calgary.ab.ca
• Learn more about training and delivery opportunities in Calgary

There are also opportunities for partners to support the growth of RentSmart through sponsorship, training access, and program expansion.

Looking ahead

RentSmart is more than a training program. It is part of a broader shift toward earlier, more connected support. It helps people access tools, build confidence, and stay well in their communities.

At CMHA Calgary, that’s the work we’re here to do.