Youth Without Shelter is a 3-star, financially transparent charity with an excellent A results reporting grade and a Fair impact rating. It has a reasonably sized reserve of cash and investments and 17% total overhead spending. For every dollar donated, 83 cents are available to go to the cause.

Founded in 1986, Youth Without Shelter (YWS) provides housing and social services to youth aged 16-24 in Toronto. According to the charity, up to 2,000 youths are homeless on Toronto’s streets each night which represent 11% of Toronto’s total homeless population. The majority previously lived in abusive households (63%) and struggle with substance abuse (65%).

YWS runs four programs: Emergency Residential Program (emergency housing), its Stay in School and Helix Program (transitional housing), Support Programs (social services), and Community Engagement (homeless awareness workshops). It spent $3.4m on its programs in the March 2024 fiscal year (F2024). In F2024, it helped 149 youths across all of its programs and provided 16,825 nights of shelter.

Emergency Residential Program was 38% of YWS’s program spending. The charity operates a 33-bed crisis shelter for homeless youth designed for short stays. In F2024, YWS housed 113 unique youths and held 1,139 case management meetings where caseworkers help youths set and reach goals.

Stay in School and Helix House was 30% of YWS’s program spending and is two transitional housing apartments. Its 20-bed Stay in School apartment building helps youths complete their high school education. In F2024, the charity housed 46 unique youths at this building. In F2022, YWS opened the Helix House – a 44-bed affordable apartment. In F2024, the charity housed five youths at Helix House and provided 1,825 nights of shelter.

Support Programs was 25% of YWS’s program spending and includes its Life Skills, Mental Health, Employment, and Housing After-Care subprograms. In F2024, the charity taught 111 youths how to pay bills, budget, and manage schedules at its Life Skills program; provided emotional regulation and interpersonal skills counselling to 71 youths (Mental Health); taught resume writing and networking skills to 71 youths (Employment); and helped 272 youths who formerly lived at YWS-managed housing live independently (Housing After-Care).

Community Engagement was 7% of YWS’s program spending and includes its Educational Outreach and Volunteer subprograms. In F2024, YWS held 83 workshops attended by 1,537 students in public schools across Toronto that raised youth homelessness awareness.

Youth Without Shelter’s audited financial statements follow line-item costing, meaning it does not clearly report which expenses relate to program, administrative, and fundraising activities. This is not a best practice.

In F2024, YWS received $2.2m in donations (43% of total revenue) and $2.1m worth of government funding (42% of total revenue). It also received $527k worth of non-cash donations such as food, clothing, and hygiene products. Administrative costs are 5% of total revenue less investment income and fundraising costs are 12% of donations. Its 17% total overhead spending means that for every dollar donated, 83 cents are available to go to the cause.

YWS spent $3.4m on its programs in F2024 which is only 1% higher than the $3.3m it spent in F2023.

At the end of F2024, YWS had $1.6m gross and $384k net reserve funds. Ci backed out $1.2m worth of interest-bearing mortgage debt related to its Helix House property.

Profile updated by Julian Dranitsaris on June 12, 2025. Comments and corrections may be forthcoming.

Questions? Contact jdranitsaris@charityintelligence.ca