The Vancouver Indian Centre Housing Society was incorporated in the Province of British Columbia on May 25, 1980.

In 1987, the Society formally changed its name to Lu'ma Native Housing Society which means new beginnings in Coast Salish. The main purpose of the Society is:

1. To acquire, construct, develop, hold, supply, operate, manage, and maintain housing accommodations and incidental facilities for person's of Aboriginal Ancestry in the Province of British Columbia according to their needs including without limitation, families and individuals of low income, the aged and functionally handicapped persons, and to operate and manage commercial facilities wherein such facilities are part of any housing facility operated by the Society.
2. To purchase, lease, hold, develop and improve any lands and building necessary for carrying out the purposes of the Society.
3. To establish and carry on education and research programs relating to housing and community facilities.
4. As incidental to the foregoing purposes of the Society and where the funds of the Society are sufficient to do so:
   
   i) To meet the needs of people of Aboriginal Ancestry who are making a transition to the urban community.
   ii) To provide central and suitable facilities where counseling information, guidance and referral services will be provided and where meetings and educational and recreational activities may be held.
   iii) To plan with government agencies, with health and welfare, church or other agencies in order to improve the quality of services and facilities for persons of Aboriginal ancestry in the community.


5. To provide property management and other related services to societies or non-profit organizations which own or maintain housing accommodations for persons of Aboriginal ancestry in British Columbia.
6. To raise money through subscriptions, membership, donations, and gifts for the purpose of carrying out the purposes of the Society: To do all such things as are incidental or conclusive to the attainment of the purposes of the Society.

Over the past twenty years we have successfully developed a significant number of projects in Vancouver. We currently own and operate a housing portfolio with a market value in excess of thirty million dollars. Our annual operating budgets are in excess of $3 million dollars. We have a dedicated volunteer board of directors from the Aboriginal community and staff of approximately thirty-five individuals. The Society's main source of funding comes from thirty five year operating agreements with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Human Resources Development Canada, the Ministry of Health and B.C. Housing. We have also developed projects with the Province of British Columbia ("BCHMC") under a similar program operated by CMHC. To facilitate the development of projects under BCHMC we incorporated and separate (sister society) known as Lu'ma Native BCH Housing Society (the "BCH Society").

We are also Host Agency for federal funding for B.C. Homelessness Initiatives. As such, we are responsible to allocate funding province-wide to address Aboriginal homelessness.   The Aboriginal Homeless Steering Committee operates under the wings of Lu'ma Native Housing Society, responsible for projects that directly assist Native homeless people and relieve homelessness.