Crowns, Courage & Community: How Demetria Canty Is Redefining Shelter for Women

When Demetria Canty first walked into a women’s group home in the early 1990s, she didn’t know she was stepping into her life’s calling. For over 25 years Canty has worked in human services “I’ve done counseling, eviction prevention, drug programs—you name it, I’ve probably done it. I just have a heart for helping people.” Canty shares. The firsthand impact of seeing abuse, neglect, hopelessness and lost opportunities for young women helped plant the seed that grew into a community solution. 

“My name is Demetria Canty, and I am the CEO and founder of Live Limitless Refuge Center,” she says. This bold, innovative solution to homelessness has become New York State’s first luxury homeless shelter for women. But what Canty has built is more than just a shelter. It is a movement, a mindset, and a new model for what happens when women are not just housed—but restored. The journey to make this vision a reality is a testament to perseverance, faith—and the power of the right financial partner.

A Vision Too Big to Ignore

Live Limitless Refuge Center was first envisioned around 2016, but even Demetria Canty, CEO of the organization will admit that her dream of creating the state’s first luxury homeless shelter felt overwhelming and too big at that time. During the COVID-19 Pandemic when the world was forced to slow down, Canty finally had space to sit with her dream and expand her vision. She began building the foundation—filing nonprofit paperwork, securing her 501(c)(3), and preparing for launch. By late 2023, Canty had secured a building and in July 2025, the doors officially opened. 

Canty specifies that Live Limitless Refuge Center is all about intentionality and self-esteem which sets it apart from other shelters. “If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you want better,” she says. That philosophy guides everything. Canty focuses on the “inner being” of each resident while recognizing that outer presentation can powerfully affect self-esteem. Women entering the shelter are not rushed through a system. There are no arbitrary timelines. The goal is stability—not speed. And when a woman is ready to move forward—to employment, housing, independence—she doesn’t just receive paperwork. She receives a crown. A real jeweled, blinged-out crown that marks her transformation. The crowning ceremony is more than a celebration, it is a declaration that homelessness is a chapter, not an identity.

Women who enter the shelter find:

  • Luxury bedding and thoughtfully designed spaces
  • A walk-in clothing closet with carefully vetted donations
  • A full salon area
  • Access to hair styling and makeup services
  • A culture rooted in empowerment and self-worth 

Launching a first-of-its-kind shelter wasn’t easy. Although Canty had secured a location and had a list of women waiting for housing, she still struggled with finding financial support for day-to-day operations. As a new nonprofit, Live Limitless lacked the financial history banks often require and could not secure traditional funding to launch the shelter. This predicament illuminated Canty’s greatest concern, which was the potential of failure. “My biggest fear… was letting myself down,” she shares. With traditional lending out of reach, Demetria turned to the Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region for support. When she first approached Community Loan Fund, the answer wasn’t yes. It was “not yet.” Canty credits the Loan Fund for their decision not to “close the door” on Live Limitless but instead provide guidance and clear steps on how to strengthen her position and reapproach the process. With mentorship, adjustments, and persistence, she returned—and received the financing she needed to move forward. “They gave me a path,” Canty says. “If it wasn’t for the support in my ‘no’ season, I would not have been able to come back and receive the funding for my dream.” Her lesson to other entrepreneurs? “Never give up… Be comfortable with being uncomfortable… Appreciate the no’s,” she advises.

Momentum & Milestones

In less than a year of operation, Live Limitless has garnered significant recognition. Canty was featured on The Tamron Hall Show after a collaboration and media package caught the producer’s attention. The shelter has been highlighted by regional outlets and Spectrum News. She won the United Way Power Pitch competition, securing a $10,000 award for Live Limitless. Beyond media attention, partnerships are expanding to include Workforce training collaborations, Internship-to-employment pathways and Grants focused on youth violence prevention. Calls from other counties have already begun, asking Canty to expand into their communities. Canty envisions the shelter as an umbrella of opportunity—housing, empowerment, workforce readiness, and community safety intersecting under one mission.

Canty’s ambitions are bold. “I want to be global,” she says. In five years, she hopes to see two or three additional sites at minimum . Ultimately, she dreams of a Live Limitless in every state that needs it. She’s already received calls from counties asking her to expand. But expansion requires continued investment and support. “I need more… Every dollar counts,” she emphasizes. Philanthropy, grants, and community investment are not optional—they are essential to keeping lights on, food stocked, and programs running.

Canty encourages other entrepreneurs to “always put God first, bet on yourself and never doubt the power within you to achieve your assignment in life. To always trust the process no matter how long it may take you, whatever is for you is for you.”

The Impact of Community-Based Lending

Live Limitless Refuge Center demonstrates exactly why mission-driven lending matters. Innovative models often don’t fit traditional underwriting boxes. First-time nonprofit founders face barriers to capital. “No” doesn’t have to mean “never.”

By combining guidance, accountability, and access to financing, Community Loan Fund helped turn a bold idea into a working reality—serving women daily and reshaping what shelter can look like. As Canty reflects, “Without Community Loan Fund… I wouldn’t be sitting here doing this interview.” From a vision once too big to imagine… to a crowned exit ceremony celebrating women stepping into independence—Live Limitless Refuge Center stands as proof that with the right support, community-rooted dreams don’t just launch… They thrive.