oneROOF

What oneROOF does

oneROOF Youth Services is a Canadian registered charity (CRA #890388242RR0001) founded in 1988 in Kitchener, Ontario, that delivers wraparound support to youth aged 12-25 experiencing or at-risk of homelessness in Waterloo Region. Originally founded as ROOF (Reaching Our Outdoor Friends), the organization rebranded to oneROOF to reflect a broader mission encompassing shelter, prevention, employment, and family reconnection.

The organization operates The Quad, a four-building campus that integrates an 18-bed PAR co-ed emergency shelter, a 44-unit Next Steps supportive housing building (completed summer 2022), drop-in Daytime Services (DTS) offering meals, food hampers, clothing and hygiene products, a Host Homes placement program, Family Reconnect services, a street outreach team, and the C4C Thrift Store social enterprise. Its 16-week paid Change4Change youth employment program, funded by the Government of Canada, adds a workforce development layer to the housing and shelter stack. No proprietary technology platforms underpin service delivery; operations are human-led casework delivered by approximately 50 staff.

The revenue model is a multi-stream nonprofit blend: individual donations and fundraising initiatives (including Sponsor A Youth, hosted fundraisers, monthly giving, and cryptocurrency donations), institutional grants from the Government of Canada, Region of Waterloo, and United Way, ancillary revenue from the C4C Thrift Store, and on-site health partnerships with the Downtown Community Health Centre and Sanguen Health Van. Services are provided free of charge to youth, and revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

oneROOF

Legal name

oneROOF Youth Services

Website

https://oneroof.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

oneROOF Youth Services is a Canadian nonprofit, founded in 1988 in Kitchener, Ontario, providing shelter, supportive housing, drop-in services, employment programming, and family reconnection to youth aged 12-25 experiencing or at-risk of homelessness in Waterloo Region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Homelessness Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD)

Keywords

• Youth homelessness services
• Emergency shelter
• Supportive housing
• Community outreach
• Nonprofit social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kitchener

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies heavily on monetary donations from the community. Donations are accepted online and through various fundraising initiatives including Sponsor A Youth (SAY) program, hosted fundraisers, cryptocurrency donations, and monthly giving.
2. Government Funding: Government of Canada funding supports the Change4Change employment program. The organization receives support from federal and regional government sources.
3. Thrift Store Revenue: C4C (Change4Change) Thrift Store generates revenue that supports youth employment and programming.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

oneROOF Youth Services provides free, wraparound support for youth aged 12-25 experiencing or at-risk of homelessness in Waterloo Region, Ontario. Services include an 18-bed emergency shelter (PAR), a 44-unit supportive housing program (Next Steps Housing), drop-in daytime services (DTS), street outreach, Host Homes prevention, Family Reconnect, a 16-week paid youth employment program (Change4Change), and a youth-operated thrift store (C4C).

Product overview

oneROOF Youth Services is a multi-service nonprofit organization providing wrap-around support for youth aged 12-25 experiencing homelessness or at-risk in Waterloo Region. The organization operates a four-building campus called The Quad, offering a coordinated portfolio of services: Daytime Services (DTS) for drop-in support and essential needs; PAR Emergency Shelter (18-bed co-ed); Next Steps Housing (44-unit supportive housing); Host Homes and Family Reconnect for prevention and family support; Outreach Services for street-based support; Change4Change Employment Program for job training; and C4C Thrift Store as a social enterprise. These services work together to provide immediate safety, housing, employment, education, and family reconnection support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PAR (Providing A Roof): Eighteen-bed co-ed emergency shelter providing immediate safety and shelter for youth experiencing homelessness.
• Next Steps Housing
• Change4Change
• C4C Thrift Store
• Host Homes
• Family Reconnect
• Daytime Services (DTS)

Products and services

• Daytime Services (DTS) Drop-in daytime services providing hot meals, food hampers, clothing, hygiene products, and daily programming for youth aged 12-25 experiencing homelessness.
• PAR (Providing A Roof) Emergency Shelter An 18-bed co-ed emergency shelter where youth can access immediate safety and shelter, allowing them to focus on other areas of improvement.
• Next Steps Housing A 44-unit supportive housing program providing long-term housing and support for youth, enabling independence and safety beyond emergency shelter.
• Host Homes Program A prevention-focused program providing safe, supportive alternatives to emergency shelter through community host homes, recognized by the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness as a best preventative practice.
• Family Reconnect A program strengthening family and natural support networks to help youth avoid homelessness through reconnection services.
• Outreach Services Street outreach team that meets youth where they are, distributing essential care items and information to those in need.
• Change4Change Employment Program A 16-week paid youth employment program where participants learn job readiness, earn certificates, and participate in skill-building workshops, funded by The Government of Canada.
• C4C Thrift Store A youth employment social enterprise thrift store providing job training and employment opportunities for youth.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18-bed emergency shelter capacity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Downtown Community Health CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Registered Nurse Practitioner from the Downtown Community Health Centre offers weekly on-site appointments to youth at oneROOF campus for medical treatment and conditions.
• Sanguen Health VancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSanguen Health Van comes to oneROOF campus once weekly to connect youth with harm reduction supplies.
• Canadian Observatory on HomelessnessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecognized oneROOF's Host Homes program as best preventative practice. Provides research and resources.
• John MacDonald ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partner for supportive housing building expansion and campus development.
• Ball ConstructionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction partner for the supportive housing building completed in summer 2022.
• Betty Thompson Youth CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partner from 1990s-2000s that helped establish the foundation of the agency.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• A Way Home Canada: National Canadian coalition focused on preventing and ending youth homelessness through research, policy, and program design. Comparable to oneROOF in mission emphasis on prevention (e.g., Host Homes) and on shaping the youth homelessness field.
• Raising the Roof: National Canadian charity addressing homelessness, with a youth-focused prevention lens that aligns with oneROOF's Host Homes and Family Reconnect programs. Comparable as a national peer working at the intersection of prevention and direct service.
• Covenant House Toronto: Canada's largest youth homelessness agency, operating emergency shelter, supportive housing, and wraparound services across multiple cities. Most directly comparable to oneROOF in target population, service mix, and nonprofit delivery model, though at significantly greater scale.
• Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth: Toronto-based organization providing shelter, transitional housing, and training programs for homeless and at-risk youth. Closely comparable to oneROOF in mission and service portfolio, including the integration of employment training with housing services.
• Youth Without Shelter: Etobicoke-based emergency shelter and drop-in program serving homeless youth aged 16-24 with 24/7 beds, counseling, and life-skills support. Directly comparable to oneROOF's PAR shelter and DTS drop-in service model.

Regional players

• YMCA of Kitchener-Waterloo: Regional YMCA serving Waterloo Region with youth programming, housing, employment, and newcomer services. Comparable to oneROOF in geographic catchment and overlapping youth-services mandate, though broader in scope.
• The Working Centre: Kitchener-based nonprofit offering employment services, housing support, and community programs to people facing barriers including homelessness. Direct regional neighbor to oneROOF with overlapping client populations and complementary programming.
• Boys & Girls Club of Kitchener-Waterloo: Regional youth-serving organization operating in Kitchener-Waterloo with after-school programs, mentorship, and youth development services. Comparable as a regional youth-services peer with overlapping age demographic (12-25).
• Calgary Drop-In Centre: Large Calgary-based shelter and housing organization serving people experiencing homelessness, including youth. Comparable in operational model (emergency shelter plus supportive housing plus wraparound services), but operating in a different Canadian city.

Others

• United Way Waterloo Region: Regional funder and community convener supporting a network of social-service agencies in Waterloo Region, including oneROOF. Connected as a core funding partner and community ecosystem coordinator rather than a direct service competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=c4HG7gcFI5M
• Facebookfacebook.com/oneROOFWR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oneroofyouthservices
• Instagraminstagram.com/oneroofyouthservices
• Xx.com/oneROOFYouth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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 oneROOF