Helping Spirit Lodge Society

What Helping Spirit Lodge Society does

Helping Spirit Lodge Society (HSLS) is a Vancouver-based not-for-profit, founded in 1990 and originally sponsored by United Native Nations, that delivers a tiered continuum of housing and wrap-around support services for Indigenous women and children fleeing domestic violence in the Greater Vancouver / Lower Mainland area. The core service stack comprises Spirit Lodge (a 10-bed first-stage emergency shelter opened May 1991, providing up to 30 days of refuge), Spirit Way (a 14-unit second-stage transition house opened June 2001, providing up to 18 months of holistic healing accommodation in partnership with BC Housing), the Journey Home Housing First program (case management, landlord mediation, and stabilization for chronically and episodically homeless Urban Indigenous peoples), Healing Bear Outreach (a street-level homelessness program launched October 2021 that has housed approximately 20 individuals and built a 24-organization housing-partner network), and Kingsway Sierra subsidized long-term housing. Service delivery is Indigenous-led and integrates traditional healing with therapeutic interventions including counseling, acupuncture, and massage.

Name

Helping Spirit Lodge Society

Legal name

Helping Spirit Lodge Society

Website

https://hsls.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Helping Spirit Lodge Society is a Vancouver-based, Indigenous-led not-for-profit founded in 1990 that operates emergency shelter, transitional housing, Housing First, and street-outreach programs for Indigenous women and children fleeing domestic violence across Greater Vancouver.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services — Indigenous Women's Shelter and Transition Housing

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Indigenous women's shelter
• Domestic violence services
• Transition housing
• Homelessness outreach
• Housing first program

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary funding from government programs including Service Canada and Reaching Home Program for Journey Home and Healing Bear Programs. BC Housing provides partnership support for Spirit Way Transition House.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Accepts monetary donations, gifts of securities, and in-kind contributions. Provides tax receipts and tax benefit illustrations for donors of publicly traded securities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Helping Spirit Lodge Society is an Indigenous-led non-profit organization that provides emergency shelter, two-stage transition housing, homelessness outreach, and wrap-around support services for Indigenous women and children fleeing domestic violence in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia. Programs integrate culturally grounded Indigenous healing practices with Housing First principles, addressing both immediate safety and longer-term housing stability.

Product overview

Helping Spirit Lodge Society operates a continuum of housing programs and support services for Indigenous women and children fleeing family violence in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. The organization offers a tiered housing model consisting of: Spirit Lodge (first-stage emergency shelter with 10 beds for up to 30 days), Spirit Way (second-stage transitional housing with 14 units for up to 18 months), Journey Home (Housing First permanent housing support program), Healing Bear Outreach (street outreach for homeless individuals), and Kingsway Sierra (subsidized long-term housing). All programs integrate holistic, Indigenous-led approaches including cultural programming, counseling, and wrap-around case management services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Spirit Lodge Transition House Emergency and transition housing facility providing safe accommodation and wrap-around support for Indigenous women and children fleeing domestic violence in Greater Vancouver.
• Spirit Way Transition House Second-stage transition housing facility offering longer-term supportive housing for Indigenous women and children as they move beyond emergency shelter toward stability.
• Journey Home Program Support program assisting Indigenous women transitioning from shelter or homelessness toward stable, independent housing, applying Housing First principles.
• Healing Bear Outreach Program Mobile street and community outreach program engaging individuals experiencing homelessness in Greater Vancouver and connecting them with shelter, housing, and supportive services.
• Kingsway Sierra Housing Supportive housing initiative providing stabilized accommodation as part of the organization's continuum of housing services for Indigenous women and children.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80,000+ women and children served since 1991
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.

• New Housing Partnership (unnamed)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 December 2025New partnership announced December 2025 aimed at expanding safe housing and wrap-around services for Indigenous women and children. Combines resources including additional housing units, funding, enhanced case management, and family-centered supports.
• United Native NationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 1990Original sponsor of HSLS's first project. United Native Nations opened an office for the society on February 1, 1990, establishing the foundation for the organization's work with Indigenous communities in the Lower Mainland.
• BC HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvincial housing authority partnership for Spirit Way Transition House. BC Housing provided conditional allocation in November 1996 under the HOMES BC Homeless At Risk Component for the 14-unit second-stage project.
• Vancouver Coastal HealthsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional health authority providing mental health supports for clients of the Healing Bear Outreach Program. Connects clients to healthcare services as part of wrap-around support model.
• First Nations Health Authority (FNHA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth authority serving First Nations populations in BC, providing mental health supports through the Healing Bear Outreach Program for Indigenous clients experiencing homelessness.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Aboriginal Mother Centre Society: Vancouver-based Indigenous nonprofit supporting Indigenous women and children with housing, cultural programming, and family services. Highly comparable in target population, Indigenous-led approach, and shelter/transitional housing offerings.
• Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society: Urban Indigenous organization serving the Greater Vancouver Indigenous population with cultural programs, housing support, and community services. Comparable in Indigenous-led service delivery and urban Indigenous focus.
• Lu'ma Native Housing Society: Vancouver-based Indigenous nonprofit providing affordable and transitional housing for Indigenous peoples off- and on-reserve. Comparable in Indigenous-led housing service delivery and Greater Vancouver geographic focus.
• Battered Women's Support Services: Vancouver-based nonprofit providing counseling, advocacy, and support for women experiencing violence, including Indigenous women. Comparable in target population and direct service model.
• Downtown Eastside Women's Centre: Vancouver DTES nonprofit offering drop-in services, shelter, and housing support to women, with a significant Indigenous client base. Comparable in target population and harm-reduction-informed housing support.
• WISH Drop-in Centre Society: Vancouver Downtown Eastside nonprofit serving women involved in street-based sex work, many of whom are Indigenous. Overlapping in Indigenous women client base and harm reduction / outreach service model.
• Atira Women's Resource Society: Vancouver-based nonprofit providing shelter, transition housing, and support services for women and children fleeing violence, including Indigenous women. Directly comparable in mission, target population, and continuum-of-housing model.

Broad incumbents

• BC Society of Transition Houses: Provincial umbrella organization coordinating transition houses and safe homes for women fleeing violence across BC. Comparable in sector focus but operates as an association rather than direct service provider.
• YWCA Metro Vancouver: Large regional nonprofit operating multiple women's shelters and housing programs across Metro Vancouver. Overlapping mission (women fleeing violence) with broader scope, larger scale, and a longer-standing funder footprint.

Regional players

• Native Women's Healing Circle (Vancouver): Indigenous women-focused healing and support organization operating in the Greater Vancouver area. Comparable in Indigenous-women-focused mission and culturally grounded service approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_hsls

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Helping Spirit Lodge Society