Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood House Redevelopment Grant

Motion 13 · Council Meeting, June 27, 2023

On Consent Location 4065 Victoria Drive

Summary

Council is asked to approve a one-time capital grant of $9.7 million to the Association of Neighbourhood Houses of BC (ANHBC) to support the redevelopment of Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood House (CCNH) at 4065 Victoria Drive in the Kensington-Cedar Cottage neighbourhood.
The redeveloped facility will include 37 new licensed childcare spaces for children aged 0–4 and approximately 15,000 square feet of social-serving community space, addressing a citywide shortfall estimated at over 15,000 licensed childcare spaces.
Funding will be drawn from two existing 2023 Capital Budget allocations: $5.2 million for childcare capital grants and $4.5 million for neighbourhood house capital project grants; ANHBC has also secured $13.5 million from provincial and federal governments.
CCNH serves as a community hub providing social connections, programs, and supports for residents of the Kensington-Cedar Cottage area, which is experiencing increasing densification and growing demand for services.
The grant aligns with two key City strategies: "Spaces to Thrive" (Vancouver's Social Infrastructure Strategy) and "Making Strides" (Vancouver's Childcare Strategy), and supports equity-deserving populations.
The grant requires a two-thirds affirmative Council vote under the Vancouver Charter; staff and the City Manager recommend approval.