Located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, the VPL nə́c̓aʔmat and YWCA Cause We Care House is a mixed library and housing development. It features a community-centered library branch, including a digital media hub for storytelling and publishing. The library branch is also the first civic building in Vancouver to have an Indigenous name, nə́c̓aʔmat ct, meaning “we are one” in the Musqueam language. In the YWCA-managed residential section, the project includes 21 units of safe, affordable housing for low-income single mothers and their children, with additional space for medical services and community programs. Light House hosted a sustainability planning charette and provided ongoing guidance resulting in the project attaining LEED Gold Certification.
