Cornerstone Housing for Women

What Cornerstone Housing for Women does

Cornerstone Housing for Women is a registered Canadian charitable nonprofit founded in 1983 and headquartered at 314 Booth Street in Ottawa, Ontario. It operates Ottawa's largest dedicated emergency shelter for women and gender-diverse people, a 165-bed facility at 2980 Carling Avenue in Nepean, alongside five supportive housing residences — Eccles, Princeton, Booth, MacLaren, and one additional property — that collectively house approximately 320 residents on a long-term, coordinated-support basis. The organization reaches over 300 women daily and more than 700 women annually, with additional post-housing support through an Outreach Program (capacity 60 clients/year) and a Spiritual Care Program staffed by a chaplain and trained pastoral care volunteers.

The service portfolio is structured as a continuum of care that begins with emergency overnight shelter and progresses through long-term supportive housing with embedded clinical and cultural supports. In October 2025, Cornerstone launched the 'Building Better Healthcare' campaign, a $500,000 initiative to deliver five pillars of on-site wellness — nursing, mental health, Indigenous spiritual care, cultural support for newcomers and refugees, and peer support workers — across the shelter and housing portfolio. Healthcare delivery is operationalized through co-located partnerships with Centretown Community Health Centre at MacLaren Residence and Somerset West Community Health Centre. The organization does not run proprietary technology platforms; service delivery is human-staff-intensive and dependent on partnerships with municipal, clinical, and community stakeholders.

The financial model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue stack. Cornerstone receives partial operating funding from the City of Ottawa and is governed as an independent charity affiliated with the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, but services are provided free of charge to clients and the organization must fundraise more than $1 million in community donations each year to keep its doors open. Revenue streams include individual donations (one-time and recurring monthly gifts), annual fundraising campaigns such as the Coldest Night of the Year walk, corporate sponsorships, and grants through partners such as the Ottawa Community Foundation. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors, led by Executive Director Anne Marie Hopkins, and operates two confirmed physical sites within Ottawa.

Name

Cornerstone Housing for Women

Legal name

Cornerstone Housing for Women

Website

https://cornerstonewomen.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cornerstone Housing for Women is an Ottawa-based registered charity founded in 1983 that operates the city's largest emergency shelter for women and gender-diverse people, plus five supportive housing residences, serving over 300 women daily and 700+ annually through free shelter, housing, outreach, and spiritual care services funded primarily by donations and municipal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Homeless Shelter and Supportive Housing Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Emergency shelter services
• Supportive housing programs
• Women's homelessness services
• Social services nonprofit
• Gender-specific housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Charitable donations from individuals through one-time and monthly gift programs. Monthly donors authorize recurring credit card donations.
2. Municipal Government Funding: Partial funding from City of Ottawa to support daily operations, though community fundraising remains essential to supplement.
3. Annual Fundraising Campaigns: Annual campaigns including Coldest Night of the Year walk raising over $114,000 in 2026, Building Better Healthcare campaign targeting $500,000, and general annual fundraising.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorships from local businesses for fundraising events like Coldest Night of the Year, including Westboro Village BIA, Duffey Financial Solutions, Fratelli Westboro, and others.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cornerstone Housing for Women provides emergency shelter and supportive housing services for women and gender-diverse people experiencing homelessness in Ottawa. It operates a 165-bed emergency shelter and five supportive housing residences serving over 320 residents, complemented by an Outreach Program and a Spiritual Care Program. Services are delivered free of charge and funded through donations, municipal grants, and community fundraising.

Product overview

Cornerstone Housing for Women operates a single integrated portfolio of housing and support services for women and gender-diverse people experiencing homelessness in Ottawa. The core offerings include: Emergency Shelter (165-bed shelter at Carling Avenue) and five Supportive Housing Residences (Eccles, Princeton, Booth, MacLaren, and another unnamed residence) providing long-term affordable housing for approximately 320 residents combined. The organization also provides two key support programs: the Outreach Program (supporting up to 60 clients annually post-housing) and the Spiritual Care Program. In October 2025, Cornerstone launched the 'Building Better Healthcare' campaign to expand on-site healthcare services including nursing, mental health, Indigenous spiritual, cultural, and peer support. The organization serves over 300 women daily and more than 700 annually, receiving municipal funding supplemented by community fundraising exceeding $1 million annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter Emergency shelter supporting 165 women and gender-diverse people, located at 2980 Carling Avenue, Nepean, ON K2B 7K2. Provides immediate overnight shelter, meals, and basic supports for individuals in crisis.
• Supportive Housing Program Five supportive housing residences providing long-term affordable housing with coordinated supports for women. Includes Eccles Residence, Princeton Residence, Booth Residence, MacLaren Residence, and an additional program, serving over 320 residents combined.
• Eccles Residence One of Cornerstone's five supportive housing residences providing affordable, long-term living with coordinated supports for women experiencing homelessness.
• Princeton Residence One of Cornerstone's five supportive housing residences providing affordable, long-term living with coordinated supports for women experiencing homelessness.
• Booth Residence One of Cornerstone's five supportive housing residences providing affordable, long-term living with coordinated supports for women experiencing homelessness.
• MacLaren Residence Cornerstone's first supportive housing residence opened in 1989, located in Centretown. Provides affordable, long-term living with coordinated supports for 19 women, with the goal of setting residents up for success in independent living. Also home to the Outreach Program.
• Outreach Program Program supporting up to 60 clients per year with advocacy, referrals, and occasional accompaniments. Available to former residents of Cornerstone's residential programs on an as-needed basis as they move to independent housing.
• Spiritual Care Program Program supporting women with questions about meaning, purpose, and wellbeing. Staff chaplain and trained pastoral care volunteers provide spiritual awareness, growth, and non-judgmental support through various spiritual care activities. Open to people of any faith or no faith.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ women served daily
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of OttawacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary municipal funding partner providing essential government funding to support daily operations, though community fundraising remains essential to supplement municipal funding.
• Ottawa Community FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity foundation partner supporting the organization's work through grant funding and community philanthropy.
• Centretown Community Health CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated at MacLaren Residence, CCHC provides medical supports including mental healthcare to residents, enhancing the holistic wellness approach at Cornerstone.
• Westboro Village BIAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity sponsor for Coldest Night of the Year walk, rallying local businesses and residents to support women's homelessness.
• Duffey Financial Solutions at Sun Life FinancialminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity sponsor for Coldest Night of the Year walk.
• Fratelli WestborominorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business sponsor for Coldest Night of the Year walk.
• All Saints Anglican ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue sponsor for Coldest Night of the Year walk, hosting the event at 347 Richmond Road. Church provides community space for events.
• Canadian Women\'s FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization shown in organizational logos, supporting women's initiatives.
• Ottawa Inner City HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing supervised consumption site services. Cornerstone has advocated for continued CTS funding, noting the positive impact on residents and community. Executive Director Anne Marie Hopkins previously worked on opening Ottawa's SCS.
• Bruce HouseminorOthersSupportive housing partner listed in Helpful Links for community referrals.
• Shepherds of Good HopeminorOthersSupportive housing partner listed in Helpful Links for community referrals.
• Youth Services BureauminorOthersYouth services partner listed in Helpful Links for community referrals and transitional housing support.
• Somerset West Community Health CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner health centre providing services to residents. Cornerstone has been responding to CTS funding decisions affecting this location, noting significant community impact.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bruce House: Ottawa-based supportive housing and case management provider for people living with HIV. Listed as a Cornerstone partner for referrals; comparable as a small-to-mid-size Ottawa housing nonprofit serving vulnerable populations.
• Ottawa Mission: One of Ottawa's largest emergency shelters and supportive housing operators. Comparable in operational scale and dependency on donations plus municipal funding, though gender-neutral rather than women-specific.
• Interval House of Ottawa: Ottawa emergency shelter and counseling services for women and children fleeing violence. Closest direct peer to Cornerstone based on gender-specific shelter programming in the same city.
• Shepherds of Good Hope: Ottawa-based nonprofit operating emergency shelter, supportive housing, and community health programs for people experiencing homelessness. Listed as a Cornerstone referral partner; comparable in scale, geographic base, and integrated services model.
• YWCA Ottawa: Provides emergency shelter (omanatu), housing, and wraparound services for women and gender-diverse people in Ottawa. Comparable by gender-specific mission and shelter-plus-housing continuum.
• Salvation Army Ottawa - Booth Centre: Ottawa-based Salvation Army shelter and housing programs serving people experiencing homelessness. Comparable shelter-plus-housing continuum model with faith-based affiliation similar to Cornerstone's Anglican roots.
• Multifaith Housing Initiative: Ottawa nonprofit providing affordable and supportive housing units for low-income tenants. Comparable supportive housing model and donor-dependent operating structure in the same market.
• Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa: Provides housing, supervision, and support services to women and gender-diverse people involved in the justice system. Closely matches Cornerstone's gender-specific vulnerable-population support model in Ottawa.

Regional players

• Nada (formerly Jean Tweed Centre): Toronto-based women's supportive housing and substance use recovery provider. Comparable as a Canadian gender-specific housing nonprofit serving women with trauma and substance use needs, but operating in a different province.

Others

• Canadian Women's Foundation: National grantmaking foundation funding women's shelters and gender-based violence programs across Canada. Listed in Cornerstone's partner logo set; comparable through shared women's-housing mission but as a funder, not a direct provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cornerstone Housing for Women