Kingston Youth Shelter

What Kingston Youth Shelter does

Kingston Youth Shelter (legal name: Kingston Youth Shelter Project Incorporated) is a nonprofit charitable organization established in 1999 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, providing emergency shelter, transitional housing, and family mediation services to homeless and precariously housed youth aged 16-24. The organization operates a 24/7 emergency shelter with 21 beds at 365 Nelson Street, two transition homes with 11 beds total under the Kingston Youth Transitions program, and family mediation and reunification services through Kingston Youth Families in partnership with Operation Come Home. Additional support includes a Prevention Diversion Worker, life skills training (cooking, cleaning, budgeting), employment and educational support, in-house counseling from a harm reduction perspective, and day-time drop-in services offering meals, phones, internet, laundry, and hygiene supplies. The organization serves approximately 200 youth annually.

The business model is philanthropic: KYS is a United Way KFL&A member agency, receives municipal funding from the City of Kingston for emergency shelter operations, and depends on individual donations, the Adopt-A-Bed monthly recurring giving program, in-kind physical donations, Amazon Wish List contributions, and community fundraising events. Services are delivered free of charge to youth, with transitional housing residents paying affordable inclusive rent for furnished rooms. The organization has no technology platform and operates as a direct service provider through walk-ins, phone access, and scheduled appointments.

Governance is provided by a volunteer Board of Directors, with Jay Nowak serving as Executive Director. The board includes a Board Chair (Matt Murphy), Treasurer (David Armstrong), and directors with backgrounds spanning nursing, social work, adult education, behavioral science, and credit union management. Three new directors joined in 2024, strengthening governance capacity. The organization operates within the KFL&A region (Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington) with national reach limited to the Reunite Program's family reunification support across Canada.

Name

Kingston Youth Shelter

Legal name

Kingston Youth Shelter Project Incorporated

Website

https://kingstonyouthshelter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kingston Youth Shelter is a Kingston, Ontario nonprofit founded in 1999 that provides 24/7 emergency shelter (21 beds), transitional housing (11 beds), and family mediation services to approximately 200 homeless and precariously housed youth ages 16-24 annually, funded primarily through United Way, City of Kingston grants, and individual donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Homelessness Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

Keywords

• Youth emergency shelter
• Transitional housing services
• Family mediation programs
• Youth homelessness support
• Nonprofit social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Online donations processed through CanadaHelps.org, accepting credit cards, PayPal, and Google Pay. One-time or monthly donation options available. Mail-in cheques accepted. 100% of donations go directly to helping local youth.
2. Adopt-A-Bed Monthly Giving Program: Monthly giving program providing stable, ongoing funding for day-to-day expenses and program costs. Donors can set up recurring monthly donations online and manage or cancel at any time.
3. United Way Funding: United Way KFL&A provides support for all programs as a member agency.
4. City of Kingston Funding: City of Kingston provides financial support specifically for the Emergency Shelter operations.
5. In-Kind Donations: Accepts physical donations of supplies including food, household items, clothing, personal care items, and gift cards. Amazon Wish List for specific needed items.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kingston Youth Shelter is a nonprofit organization that provides emergency shelter (21 beds, 24/7), transitional housing (11 beds across two homes), and family mediation services to homeless and precariously housed youth ages 16-24 in Kingston, Ontario. The organization operates a Prevention Diversion Worker program, life skills training, in-house counseling from a harm reduction perspective, and partners with Operation Come Home for the national Reunite program.

Product overview

Kingston Youth Shelter is a non-profit social service organization, not a technology company. Its offering consists of three core programs: Emergency Shelter (21 beds for crisis housing), Kingston Youth Transitions (11 transitional housing beds across two homes), and Kingston Youth Families (family mediation and reunite services). Additional support services include Prevention Diversion Worker assistance, day-time drop-in services, and the Adopt-A-Bed monthly donation program. Together these programs serve approximately 200 youth annually aged 16-24, with the goal of preventing homeless youth from becoming homeless adults.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 200 youth served annually
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Operation Come HomecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Reunite Program which assists youth ages 16-25 in reuniting with family anywhere across Canada by providing family support and transportation at no cost.
• QPID - Queen's Project on International DevelopmentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerQueen's University student organization runs the '5 Days for the Homeless' campaign in support of Kingston Youth Shelter, raising awareness and funds for youth homelessness.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• A Way Home Canada: National coalition working to end youth homelessness in Canada through policy, research, and community planning. Comparable in mission but operates as a national convener rather than direct service provider.

Direct peers

• Youth Without Shelter: Toronto emergency shelter and transitional housing provider for youth ages 16-24, offering similar integrated services including life skills training and family mediation. Direct operational peer in the Ontario youth shelter ecosystem.
• Operation Come Home: Ottawa-based organization providing housing, employment, and family reunification services for at-risk and homeless youth. Existing KYS partner and direct operational peer in the youth homelessness space.
• Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth: Toronto-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, transitional housing, and prevention services for homeless and at-risk youth ages 16-24. Closest peer in terms of integrated youth shelter and skills programming model.
• 360 Kids: York Region nonprofit serving homeless and at-risk youth with emergency shelter, housing, and family support programs. Comparable integrated service model targeting the same youth age range.
• Covenant House Toronto: Canada's largest youth homeless shelter serving ages 16-24 in Toronto with emergency shelter, transitional housing, and education/employment programs. Most direct operational comparable to KYS, though at significantly larger scale.
• Horizons for Youth: Toronto-area organization providing emergency shelter, transitional housing, and youth support services for homeless youth aged 16-24. Direct operational peer with similar program structure.

Regional players

• Maison du Père: Montreal-based nonprofit offering emergency shelter, transitional housing, and support services primarily to men including youth experiencing homelessness. Comparable shelter-based model in a different Canadian province.
• Boyle Street Community Services: Edmonton-based nonprofit providing shelter, housing, and outreach services to homeless individuals including youth. Comparable service model in Western Canada.
• Cornerstone Landing: Niagara Region nonprofit providing emergency shelter and supportive housing for homeless youth. Comparable in size and scope to KYS but operating in a different region of Ontario.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ygkyouthshelter
• Facebookfacebook.com/Kingston-Youth-Shelter-346299478835525
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kingston-youth-shelter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Kingston Youth Shelter