Founded in 1970, Indwell Community Homes (Indwell) is a Christian charity that creates affordable and supportive housing communities. Indwell targets its services to those dealing with significant mental health concerns or those struggling with relationships and finances. These groups are at most risk of homelessness or precarious housing situations. Based in Hamilton, Indwell Community Homes focuses on two main programs: providing supportive housing and building new facilities.

Indwell’s current housing programs provide affordable housing units with social services and community activities. Indwell Community Homes offers more than 570 apartments across 11 facilities. Indwell reported that it opened 101 new homes in F2019, a 22% increase in its housing capacity. Overall, Indwell reports more than 600 tenants living in its housing units.

Indwell undertakes construction projects to provide new homes across Ontario. Indwell Community Homes is planning to build seven new facilities. In total, these facilities will provide around 400 new units by 2022.

To emphasize energy efficiency, Indwell implemented a new “passive house” program in 2018. Passive houses refer to an international standard of energy efficiency that lowers a building’s ecological footprint. Indwell’s two newest facilities are already following this standard and a further four buildings under construction will be designed as passive houses.

Indwell Community Homes is a medium-sized charity, with $4.4m in donations and special events revenue in F2019. Government funding totaled $14.1m, representing 64% of total revenue. Compared to $7.3m in F2018, government grants rose by 94%. Indwell receives government funding to support its program operations as well as government capital grants to construct new buildings. The charity states that government capital grants for new building construction totaled $10.9m in F2019.

Administrative costs are 5% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 10% of donations and special events revenue. This means that total overhead spending is 15%. For every dollar donated to the charity, 85 cents go to the cause. This falls within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

Indwell’s net funding reserves are shown as negative because its interest-bearing debts of ($48.6m) exceed its liquid assets of $524k. These debts largely represent mortgages to support its housing units. When excluding debts, the charity's gross funding reserves can cover 10% or one month of annual program costs. Indwell notes that its housing facilities and capital assets have a book value exceeding $80m, and that its ($44.2m) in mortgages and long-term debts are needed to finance the purchase and building of new apartments.

During F2019, Indwell added new staff members, increasing its total full-time staff from 57 to 100. This addition of full-time staff, many of whom did not work a full year, skews the average compensation figure for F2019. In F2018, the average compensation per full-time employee was $46,039.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Indwell Community Homes for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on June 19, 2020 by Eric Zhao.