Wigwamen

What Wigwamen does

Wigwamen Incorporated is Ontario's oldest and largest urban Indigenous affordable housing provider, founded in 1972 and incorporated as a non-profit charitable organization. The organization owns and operates more than 865 units of rental housing across Toronto and Ottawa, comprising scattered single-family, semi, duplex, triplex, and small apartment buildings (4-12 units), the 127-unit Wigwamen Terrace at 14 Spadina Road, the 92-unit Wigwamen Waabnong at 20 Sewells Road in Scarborough, the LEED Gold-certified 145-unit Pan Am building at 75 Cooperage Street, the 60-unit Estorada building in Scarborough, and the 41-unit Place Perrault in Orleans. Rents are priced at approximately 80% of average market rent with rent-supplemented units for lower-income households. The customer base is residential: Indigenous and non-Indigenous families, singles, and seniors in Ontario, with specialized programming for persons with disabilities (31 fully accessible units in the Pan Am building, in partnership with March of Dimes Canada), Indigenous older adults (forthcoming Arrowsmith Drive development), and carded athletes. Value-added tenant programs include Annual Scholarships and a Book of the Month Club for children.

The underlying operating model is real-estate-as-charity rather than a technology platform; there are no proprietary software products, AI components, or meaningful integrations beyond donation processing (PayPal, CanadaHelps, FlipGive) and broadband connectivity (Beanfield Metroconnect). Revenue mechanics blend three streams: recurring monthly rental income from tenants, multi-year government Contribution Agreements with the Province of Ontario, federal CMHC support and awards, and charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate donors (BMO, TD, JP Bickell Foundation, UNIFOR Social Justice Fund). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer application — prospective tenants apply directly through Wigwamen's housing locations process; there are no intermediary brokers, partners, or third-party distribution channels. Pipeline as of 2024-2025 includes a 62-unit building under construction at 515 Markham Road (Scarborough) and 50 units in pre-construction at 2040 Arrowsmith Drive (Gloucester).

Name

Wigwamen

Legal name

Wigwamen Incorporated

Website

https://wigwamen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wigwamen Incorporated is Ontario's oldest and largest urban Indigenous non-profit housing provider, founded in 1972, owning and operating over 865 affordable rental units across Toronto and Ottawa for Indigenous and non-Indigenous families, singles, seniors, and persons with disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Services

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8) (BPAJAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Affordable housing
• Indigenous housing services
• Rental assistance programs
• Non-profit housing provider
• Supportive housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Rental Income: Rental payments from tenants in affordable housing units at approximately 80% of average market rent, with some units rent-supplemented for lower-income households.
2. Government Funding and Subsidies: Funding from Province of Ontario through Contribution Agreements, CMHC support, and other government housing programs.
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and organizations for specific project development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Wigwamen Incorporated develops, owns, and operates a portfolio of more than 865 units of affordable rental housing across Toronto, Scarborough, and Ottawa, providing decent, safe, and affordable housing at approximately 80% of average market rent to Indigenous and non-Indigenous families, singles, seniors, and persons with disabilities. The offering is delivered through a mix of scattered single/semi/duplex/triplex/small apartment units and larger multi-storey buildings such as Wigwamen Terrace (127 units), Wigwamen Waabnong (92 units), the Pan Am Building at 75 Cooperage Street (145 LEED Gold units, 31 fully accessible), and Place Perrault in Ottawa (41 units), supplemented by tenant programs including Annual Scholarships for Tenants and a Book of the Month Club for children.

Product overview

Wigwamen Incorporated is Ontario's oldest and largest urban Indigenous housing provider, founded in 1972. The organization operates a portfolio of over 865 affordable housing units across multiple properties in Toronto and Ottawa. The core offering consists of affordable rental housing for Indigenous and non-Indigenous families, singles, and seniors, managed through various housing complexes including Wigwamen Terrace (127 units), Wigwamen Waabnong (92 units), the Pan Am building at 75 Cooperage Street (145 LEED Gold units), Place Perrault in Ottawa (41 units), and scattered units throughout Toronto. New developments include 515 Markham Road (62 units under construction) and 2040 Arrowsmith Drive in Gloucester (50 units planned). Tenant programs include an Annual Scholarships Program and Book of the Month Club for children. The Pan Am building features an Intelligent Community Network with fiber optic connectivity. The organization is a non-profit and charitable organization overseen by a volunteer Board of Directors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wigwamen Terrace 127-unit affordable rental housing complex at 14 Spadina Road in Toronto, providing decent, safe, and affordable housing at approximately 80% of average market rent to Indigenous and non-Indigenous families, singles, and seniors.
• Wigwamen Waabnong 92-unit affordable housing project at 20 Sewells Road in Scarborough for Indigenous and non-Indigenous families, singles, and seniors; recipient of CMHC's Best Practices in Affordable Housing award in 2006.
• 75 Cooperage Street (Pan Am Building) LEED Gold certified 12-storey, 145-unit affordable housing building in downtown Toronto's West Donlands (58 one-bedroom, 58 two-bedroom, 23 three-bedroom, 1 four-bedroom, and 5 four-bedroom townhouse units), featuring 31 fully accessible units, partnerships with March of Dimes Canada and Accommodation Information and Support, and ultra-high-speed Beanfield fiber optic connectivity.
• Place Perrault 41-unit affordable housing project at 205 Eric Czapnik Way in Orleans, Ottawa, comprising a four-storey apartment building with one- and two-bedroom units at approximately 80% of average market rent, with rent-supplemented units for lower-income households.
• 160 Kenwood Avenue Nine-Plex 9-unit affordable housing apartment building at 160 Kenwood Avenue in Toronto, a three-storey redevelopment with bachelor, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units for affordable rental tenants.
• 515 Markham Road Development 62-unit new construction affordable housing project at 515 Markham Road in Scarborough, currently under construction as a 6-storey building intensification of an existing Wigwamen-owned housing site.
• Estorada at 228 Galloway Road 60-unit affordable housing building at 228 Galloway Road in Scarborough operated as part of Wigwamen's standing affordable rental housing portfolio.
• Annual Scholarships for Tenants Program Annual scholarship program available to Wigwamen tenants, funded in part through FlipGive shopping donations and other charitable contributions.
• Book of the Month Club Monthly book delivery program for children 13 years and under living in Wigwamen tenant families, supporting early literacy and family engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 865+ families housed in affordable housing units
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• March of Dimes CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2011Partnership for Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Affordable Housing Legacy Project. March of Dimes Canada has been at the forefront of the disability movement for over 50 years. Partnering to provide housing for clients with disabilities, with up to 25 clients to be housed in the 145-unit building.
• Accommodation, Information and SupportcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2011Supportive housing provider operating since 1972. Provides housing for clients with mental health challenges, with up to 15 clients to be housed in the 145-unit Pan Am building.
• March of Dimes CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Gloucester development at 2040 Arrowsmith Drive, targeting 50 units for Indigenous older adults. Enhancement partnership for this affordable housing project.
• Gloucester Emergency Food CupboardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to enhance the Gloucester development, providing additional support services for residents.
• SHS Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDevelopment consultant - one of the foremost development consulting firms in Ontario. Principals have managed development of more than 70 affordable housing projects since 1982.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fred Victor: Toronto-based charitable organization operating affordable housing, emergency shelters, and drop-in services for people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Comparable as a Toronto affordable housing non-profit serving low-income and vulnerable populations.
• Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services: Ontario-wide Indigenous housing provider offering rental housing and supportive services to off-reserve Indigenous peoples. Most direct peer to Wigwamen, also operating as a non-profit Indigenous housing organization in the same province.
• Namerind Housing Corporation: Indigenous housing provider based in Ottawa offering affordable housing units and supportive services to urban Indigenous peoples. Directly comparable to Wigwamen's Ottawa-area operations and target demographic.
• Options for Homes Non-Profit Homes Inc. Toronto non-profit developing and operating affordable ownership and rental housing. Similar non-profit structure, Toronto geography, and mission of expanding affordable housing supply.
• Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area: Non-profit affordable housing provider in the Greater Toronto Area focused on homeownership for low-income families. Comparable as a Toronto-based affordable housing non-profit with a similar donor- and volunteer-driven model.

Others

• Anishnawbe Health Toronto: Toronto Indigenous health and wellness organization providing primary care, traditional healing, and social services. Adjacent rather than directly comparable; overlaps in serving the urban Indigenous community and partnering on culturally supportive services.
• Maytree Foundation: Toronto-based private foundation focused on poverty reduction policy and affordable housing advocacy. Not a housing operator but a significant policy/funder in the affordable housing space, including Indigenous housing research.
• Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment Services: Toronto-based Indigenous organization providing employment, training, and supportive services to the urban Indigenous community. Not a housing provider but a closely related Indigenous service organization with overlapping community and donor relationships.

Broad incumbents

• Toronto Community Housing Corporation: Largest social housing provider in Canada and Toronto's primary affordable housing landlord. Operates a much larger, mixed-tenure portfolio of ~58,000 units; serves a broader low-income population, not specifically Indigenous-focused.

Regional players

• Atira Women's Resource Society: Canadian non-profit providing affordable housing and supportive services, primarily serving women and children, with operations in British Columbia and across Canada. Comparable as a non-profit affordable housing operator serving vulnerable populations, though primarily Western Canadian.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wigwamen-incorporated

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Wigwamen