Calgary Real Estate Board Helps Build Better Futures With the Calgary Dream Centre
51 Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) volunteers put their hands and hearts to work at the Calgary Dream Centre. Their efforts supported hundreds of Dream Centre clients rebuilding their lives through addiction recovery while living in the organization’s affordable and transitional housing.
Months prior to their REALTORS Care® Day, the CREB REALTOR® Community Foundation announced a three-year, $1 million Legacy Grant for the Calgary Dream Centre. On November 27, REALTOR® volunteers supplemented their financial support by taking on hands-on projects at the Calgary Dream Centre headquarters, which houses the organization’s 90-day recovery program and its 140 participants living in transitional housing.
In their “Freedom House” room, a group of volunteers sorted through piles of clothing donations for the organization’s thrift store, in preparation for an upcoming sale where proceeds would directly support the Dream Centre’s housing and recovery programs. Another group of volunteers organized the food bank pantry, making grocery selection easier for those accessing it.
Upstairs, volunteers worked in the kitchen, preparing lunch, dinner and snacks for community members in the 90-day recovery program. Volunteers also spent time preparing transitional housing units for painting and light renovations, stripping the units of carpeting and debris.
“Having CREB members here is a big deal for us. We’ve got tons of them here, and that means our staff are freed up to do other things that they wouldn’t ordinarily be able to do,” said Craig Hill, CEO of the Calgary Dream Centre. “The folks we’re serving are impacted by seeing city and CREB members come and say ,‘we believe in you, we believe in what’s happening here, and we want to get behind the work.’ It’s very inspirational.”
In Alberta, addiction is the leading cause of housing loss. The Calgary Dream Centre seeks to create lasting change across generations by breaking cycles of addiction. Through their recovery programs, vulnerable community members are given access to transitional housing to ensure they have a safe place to call home while working to create better futures.
The Dream Centre also offers lifelong support through their alumni network and community housing offering, which is designed to be a long-term solution for community members moving away from homelessness and addictions. Currently, the Calgary Dream Centre houses 371 vulnerable Calgarians across 49 properties.
To end the day, the large group of volunteers heard from one of the recovery program’s graduates. His inspiring message shared how the Calgary Dream Centre supported him, providing the connection and community he needed on his recovery journey.
“I’m very humbled to be in this place, where there’s so much transformation of people’s lives, because of an organization like the Dream Centre,” shared Colleen Whelan, a Governor of the CREB REALTOR® Community Foundation.
Through the CREB REALTOR® Community Foundation’s 2025 Legacy Grant, REALTORS® in Calgary created a long-term commitment to support community members struggling with addiction and homelessness. The $1 million grant has been earmarked for the Calgary Dream Centre’s Erlton House project. The three-storey, 56-unit building is designed for women and mothers with children working towards their recovery. Equipped with green space, communal gathering areas and an outdoor play area, Erlton House will be a community that creates better futures for Calgary families.
Through the CREB REALTOR® Community Foundation, more than 8,000 REALTORS® in the Calgary area are investing in housing and shelter-related solutions. Through a series of grants, the foundation offers more than $500,000 annually to help local charities create new housing, keep people housed and improve housing quality. Since 1987, local REALTORS® have invested more than $8 million in Calgary and its surrounding communities.
“I think there’s a deep reflex to help and to make a difference,” said Alan Tennant, CEO of the Calgary Real Estate Board. “Something like the Dream Centre has this capability to really change perspectives and to give our members a chance to see that the work being done here is making an impact right now. It’s really gratifying for volunteers to see that they can make a difference in real time.”
While incredibly impactful, CREB’s REALTORS Care® Day is just a sample of how the organization is supporting their neighbours in Calgary. On top of the foundation’s grants REALTOR® volunteers support local organizations through hands-on work with organizations like Discovery House and the Field of Crosses Memorial Project. The CREB team is eager to take on more volunteer opportunities with the Calgary Dream Centre as it’s Erlton House development progresses.
