What Hiatus House does

Hiatus House is a registered Canadian charitable nonprofit organization (CRA Charitable Registration #12920 9300 RR0001), founded in 1987 and headquartered at 250 Louis Avenue, Windsor, Ontario. It delivers crisis support, emergency shelter, and transitional housing to women and children fleeing domestic violence and gender-based abuse in the Windsor-Essex region, operating continuously 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Its service portfolio spans a 24-hour crisis help line, emergency shelter accommodation, individualized safety planning, professional counselling and group services, a Transitional Housing Project, and community education programs; the organization reports handling 3,000+ crisis calls and 500+ safe home assists annually.

The operating model is direct human service delivery rather than a technology platform. No proprietary software, API, or digital product is disclosed; service access runs through telephone crisis lines ((519) 252-7781, 1-800-265-5142) and physical intake at the shelter. The organization's value proposition rests on established community presence, survivor trust (evidenced by named testimonials on its site), and integration into the regional domestic violence response network via 18+ named partnerships spanning advocacy (WAGE Canada), child welfare (Children's Aid Society), law enforcement (Windsor Police Service), violence coordination (VAWCC), and faith partners (MCC).

Revenue is sourced from individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, community fundraising events, and government grants rather than from fees paid by service users; all services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries. Major funding partners include the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, Szecei Family Foundation, Caesars Windsor, Windsor Salt, JP Bickell Foundation, GreenShield, WFCU, and Timberland Homes, with grassroots contributions channeled through service clubs (Caboto's Club, Windsor Roseland Rotary) and school programs. Headcount is reported in the 11–50 employee range.

Name

Hiatus House

Legal name

Hiatus House

Website

https://hiatushouse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hiatus House is a registered Canadian charity, founded in 1987 and based in Windsor, Ontario, that operates a 24/7 emergency shelter, crisis helpline, safety planning, counselling, and transitional housing for women and children fleeing domestic violence in the Windsor-Essex region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Domestic Violence Shelter and Crisis Support Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Domestic violence shelter
• Crisis intervention services
• Emergency housing support
• Gender-based violence services
• Community social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Windsor

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Grants: Relies on charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and community organizations, as well as government grants to fund shelter operations, crisis support services, and programs for women and children fleeing violence.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hiatus House provides 24/7 crisis support, emergency shelter, safety planning, counselling, and a Transitional Housing Program for women and children in Windsor-Essex who are fleeing violence and abuse. All services are delivered free of charge and funded through charitable donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants. The organization also delivers community education on gender-based violence and acts as a regional hub coordinating response with law enforcement and social service partners.

Product overview

Hiatus House is a domestic violence shelter offering a unified set of crisis intervention and support services for women and children fleeing violence. The core services include 24/7 crisis telephone support, emergency shelter accommodation, and individualized safety planning. These are complemented by counselling services, group programs, and community education initiatives. The organization also operates a transitional housing program to support longer-term recovery and independence. The services are provided as integrated support rather than discrete product modules, with the 24-hour help line serving as the primary access point for all services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 24/7 Help Line A 24-hour telephone crisis line providing immediate support for women and families experiencing domestic violence, accessible at (519) 252-7781 and 1-800-265-5142.
• Emergency Shelter Safe emergency housing for women and children fleeing violence, providing immediate protection and support at 250 Louis Avenue, Windsor, Ontario.
• Safety Planning Individualized safety planning services to help survivors develop strategies for protection and escape from abusive situations.
• Counselling Services Professional counselling and group services for women, men, and children affected by gender-based violence.
• Transitional Housing Program Extended housing support to help survivors transition from emergency shelter to independent living.
• Community Education Public education programs about gender-based violence delivered to women, men, and children in the Windsor-Essex area.
• Safe Home Assists Assistance provided to help families establish safe living situations, with over 500 assists per year.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WAGE CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's advocacy organization partnership providing support and resources for women experiencing gender-based violence in the Windsor-Essex community.
• WECENcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing resources and support services for women in the Windsor-Essex region.
• CAS (Children's Aid Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support families and children involved with child welfare services who may be experiencing or fleeing domestic violence.
• MCC (Metropolitan Community Church)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity faith-based partner providing additional support resources and referrals.
• VAWCCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerViolence Against Women Coordinating Committee working collaboratively on prevention and response to gender-based violence.
• Windsor Police ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw enforcement partnership for coordinated response to domestic violence situations and victim support.
• Neighbours Friends and FamiliesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic awareness initiative partner helping to educate community members about recognizing and reporting domestic violence.
• Royal LePage Shelter FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor donor and shelter funding partner supporting transitional housing projects and operational costs. Part of the transitional housing donors program.
• Szecei Family FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation donor supporting transitional housing and shelter operations through the Transitional Housing Project.
• Caesars WindsorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate donor supporting shelter operations and fundraising initiatives.
• Windsor SaltminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate donor supporting shelter operations.
• JP Bickell FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation donor supporting shelter operations and programs.
• GreenShieldminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate donor supporting shelter and wellness programs.
• WFCUminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCredit union donor supporting community initiatives and shelter operations.
• Timberland HomesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business that donated $50,000 through the Children's Charity Classic Golf Tournament at Sutton Creek.
• Windsor Roseland RotaryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerService club that provided a grant enabling Queen Victoria Public School students to donate items to Hiatus House.
• Caboto's ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharitable partner hosting monthly pasta nights with proceeds supporting local nonprofits and shelters including Hiatus House.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• YWCA Toronto: Large multi-service women's organization offering shelter, housing, and gender-based violence programming alongside broader employment and community services; comparable in mission and core VAW services but with a wider portfolio and larger scale.
• Canadian Women's Foundation: National funder and policy advocate for VAW shelters and women's programs across Canada; not a direct operator, but a major grant-maker and convenor for organizations like Hiatus House and a key ecosystem participant.

Direct peers

• Interval House Toronto: Toronto-based emergency shelter and support services for women and children fleeing violence; directly comparable operating model — 24/7 crisis line, emergency shelter, counselling, and transitional housing — and is one of Canada's benchmark VAW shelters.
• Ernestine's Women's Shelter: Toronto shelter serving women and children affected by violence and homelessness, with a helpline, emergency residence, counselling, and children's programs; closest 1:1 functional comparable to Hiatus House's core service mix.
• Nova House (Nova Scotia): Shelter and outreach program for women and children experiencing domestic violence in the Truro/Colchester region, providing 24/7 crisis line, emergency shelter, and transition housing — a mid-sized regional VAW shelter highly comparable to Hiatus House.

Regional players

• Downtown Mission of Windsor: Windsor-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, meals, and supportive services to individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty; same geography and overlapping donor pool, but serves a broader mixed-gender population rather than women-specific VAW services.
• Family Services Windsor-Essex: Windsor-Essex community social-services agency offering counselling, violence against women programming, and family support; same geography, overlapping client base, and complementary referral partner — a regional peer for community-based social services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hiatus-house
• Instagraminstagram.com/hiatushousewindsor
• Xx.com/hiatushouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Hiatus House