ct ce’ Our Future provides safe, stable housing, mentorship and community connection for young adults transitioning from care.
On November 6, Kw’umut Lelum joined community members, leaders and project partners on Snuneymuxw lands in Cedar to celebrate the opening of ct ce’ Our Future, a new First Nation-led housing village supporting young adults as they transition from care into independence.
For young people leaving care, the journey into adulthood can bring many challenges. Finding a safe place to live, continuing education or employment, and navigating life without the everyday support of a family home can be overwhelming.
ct ce’ Our Future was created to help change that story.
The new housing village offers young adults ages 19 to 26 more than just a roof over their heads. It provides a safe place to call home, caring people to turn to, and the opportunity to build confidence, independence and a strong foundation for their future.
A Place to Call Home
Located on Snuneymuxw land, ct ce’ Our Future features three private homes built by Cueva Homes, along with a fourth home for an on-site mentor and site manager.
Designed to balance independence with connection, the village gives each young adult their own private living space, with mentorship nearby and access to Kw’umut Lelum's programs and services.
For one of the village's new residents, that sense of security is already making a difference.
"I am grateful as a youth for this opportunity to feel supported by my community. This housing now makes me feel safe and gives me a chance to focus on myself and my future!" shared Aiyana Fraser, a ct ce’ Our Future resident.
Her words speak to the heart of this initiative: every young person deserves to feel safe, supported and hopeful about what lies ahead.
Our Young People Are Our Future
The name ct ce’ comes from Snuneymuxw Hul’q’umi’num’ and can be understood in English as “our future.” It reflects both the promise of our young people and our shared responsibility to help them thrive.
For Kw’umut Lelum, supporting children and youth does not end when they turn 19. Continued connection to culture, family and community is an important part of helping young people find their way into adulthood.
As Executive Director Sqwulutsutun (William Yoachim) shared:
"As an agency and a community, we have a responsibility to ensure our young people have a safe home, people in their corner and a strong connection to culture and community as they step into adulthood. ct ce’ means ‘our future,’ and that is exactly who these young people are. We couldn’t be prouder of them."
Working Together for Our Young People
ct ce’ Our Future is a powerful example of what can happen when people come together with a shared commitment to the wellbeing of our young people.
Developed by Kw’umut Lelum in partnership with a private Certificate of Possession landholder on Snuneymuxw reserve land, the project brings together agency, community, Nation and federal partners to address a critical housing need. Working with Cueva Homes – a local builder of modular housing – the village was constructed in just 3 short months.
While addressing the very real housing crisis in our communities, it recognizes that young adults need more than housing alone. They need relationships, encouragement, cultural connection and the freedom to grow at their own pace, knowing they have people standing beside them.
The project also offers a model that other First Nations and communities may be able to adapt to support their own young people transitioning from care.
Celebrating a New Beginning
The November 6 opening ceremony brought together community leaders, project partners and supporters to celebrate the completion of the village. Guests had the opportunity to tour the new homes and share in the excitement of this new chapter.
The opening also marks another milestone in Kw’umut Lelum's 30-year journey of developing community-led solutions for children, youth and families. From becoming a fully delegated child and family services agency in 2014 to opening Orca Lelum Youth Wellness Centre in 2024, Kw’umut Lelum continues to find new ways to respond to the needs and priorities of its nine Member Nations.
Guided by the Coast Salish teaching of nutsamaat shqwaluwun — working together with one heart and one mind — Kw’umut Lelum is proud to help create a place where our young people know they belong.
Because when we invest in our young people, we invest in the future of our families, our Nations and our communities.
ct ce’ — Our Future.