Indigenous youth education hub, social housing in Vancouver moves closer to reality | Daily Hive

Indigenous youth community and education hub with social housing moves closer to reality in East Vancouver

2026 preliminary concept of 1618-1680 East Hastings St., Vancouver. (HCMA/Urban Native Youth Association/Nicola Valley Institute of Technology)

The long-envisioned Urban Indigenous Youth and Education complex with a social housing tower in Vancouver’s Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood has taken its biggest step yet.

A new rezoning application has been submitted to redevelop almost the entire city block at the southwest corner of the intersection of East Hastings Street and Commercial Drive.

In partnership with the City of Vancouver, the project is spearheaded by Urban Native Youth Association (UNYA) and Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT), and designed by local architectural firm HCMA.

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The development site at 1618-1680 East Hastings St. spans nearly the entire city block, entailing a lot with low-rise structures such as UNYA’s existing facility in a 1956-built building and a 1973-built office building owned by the municipal government.

The land assembly also includes the vacant corner lot, which was previously a gas station. In 2016, Albertan oil giant Suncor Energy donated the former gas station site to UNYA’s efforts of building a new home.

1618-1680 East Hastings Street Vancouver Urban Indigenous Youth and Education UNYA NVIT 2026

Site of 1618-1680 East Hastings St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Site of 1618-1680 East Hastings St., Vancouver. (HCMA/Urban Native Youth Association/Nicola Valley Institute of Technology)

Site of 1618-1680 East Hastings St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

According to the application, there could be roughly 80,000 sq. ft. of educational and institutional space within the four-storey base podium, with UNYA’s space generally situated within the east side of the podium and NVIT’s space in the west side.

UNYA’s Indigenous youth community space will include administrative offices, meeting rooms, counselling and cultural health rooms, multi-purpose spaces, classrooms, a fitness gym, and various lounge and common areas, while NVIT’s post-secondary education space will entail administrative offices, a library, bookstore, various classrooms, and health and digital labs. Both organizations will share a gymnasium on the third level with two-storey high ceilings.

A childcare facility for up to 44 kids will be located on the partial fifth level on the west side of the base podium’s rooftop, where there will also be a dedicated outdoor play space. On the eastern end of this level, there will be shared indoor and outdoor amenities for social housing residents.

The complex’s social housing uses rise in a tower located on the east end of the complex. There could be between 120 and 150 social housing units, with a potential unit size mix of 28 studio units, 48 one-bedroom units, also 48 two-bedroom units, 12 three-bedroom units, and 12 four-bedroom units. Additionally, one two-bedroom unit and one three-bedroom unit will have in-home childcare services.

Overall, the complex will reach a height of up to 268 ft. with 23 storeys.

2026 preliminary concept of 1618-1680 East Hastings St., Vancouver. (HCMA/Urban Native Youth Association/Nicola Valley Institute of Technology)

“The project has incorporated Indigenous advice into the social housing design process by prioritizing cultural safety, family structures, and long-term wellbeing. Guidance from Indigenous housing operators, elders, and community partners informed the inclusion of a wide range of unit sizes, with a strong emphasis on family-sized and multigenerational homes, including three- and four-bedroom units,” reads the application.

“The design integrates amenity spaces that support gathering, connection, and mutual support, and emphasizes visibility, safety, and dignity in circulation, entries, and common areas. Universal design principles, adaptability, and trauma-informed approaches were incorporated to ensure housing is accessible, flexible, and supportive across ages and abilities.”

UNYA has had a presence in the area since 1988, when it first established its youth centre. The new complex will provide the organization with education spaces to support learning outside of formal post-secondary education and focus on Indigneous youth development, with a low-barrier learning centre hub, creative arts and culture production spaces, community events and gatherings, holistic health and wellness services, and athletics and recreation.

As for NVIT, its proposed offerings for its new Vancouver campus include the Bachelor of Social Work, nursing, university transfer programs, and Early Childhood Education.

This project is being pursued for this specific area as the Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood is home to the largest off-reserve Indigenous population in Vancouver. Moreover, according to UNYA, its existing facility already sees about 30,000 youth visits per year.

The current work being performed for the project is supported by the provincial government’s initial financial backing of $2.5 million in 2022, which supports business case, design, and planning work.

2026 preliminary concept of 1618-1680 East Hastings St., Vancouver. (HCMA/Urban Native Youth Association/Nicola Valley Institute of Technology)

Although the project has now reached the rezoning stage, it is noted in the application that much of the specifics have yet to be polished out in greater detail.

The total building floor area could reach about 229,000 sq. ft., establishing a floor area ratio density of a floor area that could reach up to about 5.7 times larger than the size of the 40,300 sq. ft. lot. Two underground levels could accommodate about 140 vehicle parking stalls and 287 secured bike parking spaces.

Beyond this site, a growing number of high-rise, mixed-use towers are envisioned for the general vicinity of this intersection near the northern foot of Commercial Drive, with a focus on rental housing and social housing uses.

Immediately to the south, Cressey Development Group and Kettle Society are proposing to redevelop 485 Commercial Dr. and 1683 East Pender St. into a 22-storey tower with 239 secured purpose-built market rental homes, 41 supportive housing units, and Kettle’s new 14,000 sq. ft. Mental Health Drop-In and Resource Centre. This tower’s form is also depicted in HCMA’s preliminary conceptual artistic renderings of the UNYA/NVIT complex.

Slightly further to the south along Commercial Drive, Aboriginal Land Trust and Lu’ma Native Housing Society will redevelop 1710-1730 East Pender St. into The Place of Cedars — an 18-storey Indigenous social housing complex with 191 units.

To the west along East Hastings Street, Westbank is proposing to build its East Village project of three towers up to 39 storeys, containing about 767 secured purpose-built market rental homes and 157 units of social housing for seniors. Separately, there are also longer-term plans to redevelop the large Pink Pearl restaurant lot into affordable housing.

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