Raising the Roof

Raising the Roof is a leading Canadian national charity committed to ending homelessness through a comprehensive strategy that prioritizes the creation of sustainable affordable housing and empowering employment opportunities. Operating on the principle that housing is a human right, the organization moves beyond immediate crisis relief to focus on systemic, long-term solutions that provide Canadians who are homeless or at risk with the safe, stable foundation they need to thrive and achieve their full potential.

Since its inception in 1997, Raising the Roof has acted as both a direct developer of affordable housing projects and a vital catalyst for change across the country. Its work is anchored in understanding that homelessness is not merely a personal failure, but a complex societal and economic issue rooted in a systemic lack of accessible, affordable housing and inadequate support structures. The charity's efforts are designed to address the problem at its root, creating lasting infrastructure and economic pathways that foster genuine stability.

The Problem: A Crisis of Affordability and Dignity

The face of homelessness in Canada is diverse, impacting individuals, families, and youth in every major city and rural community. The core challenge is the severe imbalance between stagnant incomes and the soaring cost of housing. This systemic failure disproportionately affects marginalized groups, including Indigenous peoples, newcomers, women escaping violence, and people who are homeless who also live with mental health issues or disabilities.

Without a safe and stable home, all other efforts at recovery—securing a job, managing health, pursuing education—are fundamentally undermined. Temporary shelters and emergency services, while necessary, cannot provide the predictable, dignified environment required for recovery and long-term well-being. Raising the Roof’s mission is to transition the conversation from merely managing the crisis to building permanent exit strategies through three key strategic areas.

The Three Pillars of Raising the Roof’s Strategy

Raising the Roof implements its vision through a tripartite approach that combines real estate development, economic inclusion, and public awareness.

Housing is a Human Right

1. Creating and Preserving Affordable Housing

The most direct and impactful area of the charity's work is its involvement in the creation of affordable housing. Recognizing that the need vastly outstrips the supply, Raising the Roof focuses on two primary methods of increasing housing stock:

• Direct Ownership and Development: The charity strategically acquires, renovates, and manages properties to turn underutilized or vacant buildings into safe, high-quality, long-term affordable housing units. These are not just low-rent apartments; they are designed to be integrated into the community and often include accessible spaces and built-in support services. This allows people who are formerly homeless to maintain their tenancy and successfully integrate into neighbourhood life.
• Development Management Services: Raising the Roof leverages its expertise in real estate development, financing, and project management to assist other non-profits and community groups across Canada. By offering its full-service development management, the charity helps smaller organizations navigate the complexities of building codes, zoning, municipal partnerships, and financing. This essential service significantly increases the capacity of the entire non-profit sector to create housing efficiently and sustainably.

This commitment to permanent, deeply affordable housing provides the critical foundation that allows residents to regain control of their lives, health, and finances.

2. Employment and Economic Inclusion Programs

A stable home must be coupled with the economic means to maintain it. Raising the Roof understands that job training and employment are critical components of a sustained exit from poverty and homelessness. The organization runs programs aimed at providing meaningful work opportunities and transferable skills to people at risk of homelessness and those with recent experience.

• Hands-on Training and Skill Development: Programs are often tied directly to the charity’s housing development projects. For instance, participants may be involved in the renovation and maintenance of the very buildings that will eventually house them or others in need. This provides valuable, tangible skills in trades and property maintenance, leading to certifications and employment readiness.
• Dignified Income Generation: By offering training and real work experience, these programs restore the sense of dignity and economic agency that is often lost during periods of housing instability. The focus is on creating pathways to long-term employment, breaking the cycles of poverty that are often the root cause of homelessness.

3. The Toque Campaign and Public Awareness

Raising the Roof is perhaps most recognizable to the Canadian public through its annual Toque Campaign. This initiative serves as both a major fundraising mechanism and a powerful tool for public education and destigmatization.

• Fundraising and Local Impact: Every year, the charity sells toques (winter hats), with a significant portion of the proceeds going directly to community agencies across Canada that work on the frontline of homelessness. By partnering with local organizations, the campaign ensures that funds are distributed where they can have the greatest and most immediate local impact.
• Challenging Stigma: The Toque Campaign provides a visible, positive symbol—the toque—that encourages dialogue about homelessness during the coldest months of the year. By linking a common, everyday item to a critical social issue, it brings the problem out of the shadows and encourages citizens to view people who are homeless not as abstractions, but as neighbours and community members whose housing rights must be recognized and met.

Creating a Stable Future

The ultimate measure of Raising the Roof’s success is the stability and opportunity it creates. By strategically investing in real estate development and economic empowerment, the organization is not simply renting rooms; it is helping to rebuild communities and restore the promise of a dignified life for all Canadians. Its holistic approach—from policy advocacy and development management to on-the-ground training and public awareness—positions Raising the Roof as a powerful, solution-oriented leader in the collective effort to ensure every person in Canada has access to a safe and stable home.