LIGHTHOUSE

lgbta+ exclusive safe house finder for vancouver youth

THIS IS LIGHTHOUSE. Lighthouse is an LGBTA+ exclusive safe house finder for youths organized and sponsored by local Vancouver youth services. It is designed to be a quick and efficient solution for LGBTQA+ youth 19 and under to find a safe, temporary environment to stay in if they are experiencing trouble at home, school, or anywhere else.

Lighthouse takes pride in the fact that it is the only LGBTA+ safe house locator application in BC. We take anonymity and safety very seriously. What you see will reflect our care for privatization and a comfortable, LGBTA+ forward environment.

Let's do it together.

Primarily, Lighthouse is run by certified volunteers that have been screened and professionally trained to deal with urgent situations. All hosts must go through a specialized training process, as well as a background check and interview before they can sign up to host. This is to not just ensure your safety, but the host as well!

Lighthouse is built in such a way that anyone can use it. It's easy and clear to understand. Time is efficiency, and that is everything when a difficult situation presents itself.

TEACH ME >

01. WHERE ARE YOU?

First, login.

Lighthouse gives you different options to log in, such as connecting with Facebook. Privacy matters to us, and connecting your social media account is the only way to let us verify your account for the host's safety (and yours. Only your first name will be retrieved from the account, and nothing posts to these accounts.

After this you'll be taken to a screen where you can start setting some specifications. The app will ask where you are, and you can refine how far you would like to travel using the slider.

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02. WHAT DO YOU NEED?

Find what you need fast, then request to stay.

We understand that every situation is different. Like you, all of our users are vastly different as well. Because we prioritize an environment that you will feel safe in, we made sure to create a set of filters that will cater to at least some of the amenities and variables you would need to feel that way.

After that, the results returned will only be houses available, and that return at least one of your chosen specifications (because sometimes, we can't afford to be picky.)

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03. REQUEST TO STAY

Once you have found a house with the specifications you are looking for, you can request to stay in the house. From there, the host will receive your request and will message you to get to know you and your situation to provide anything else you may require. The host will then have the option of accepting or declining your stay request.

If the host accepts, you can then either accept and confirm your stay, or decline the offer if you change your mind and decide that a different house would be more suitable. The the hosts’ address will then be made available to you, and you will be provided with detailed directions via Google Maps on how to get there.

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OR: EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE

Emergency booking is a function that users in urgent situations to quickly book without logging in or setting any filters or parameters. By choosing this option, the application will find the nearest available hostel and automatically book a room for you, and will also provide transportation to the hostel.

Lighthouse from John Limiac on Vimeo.

Additional features.

We have said many times that our application tries its best to be universal in terms of different situations. We try to cater to as many scenarios as possible. Because of this, we have refined Lighthouse to respond to whatever you may need -- and this principle really comes forward when you try out the additional features.

SHOW ME >

01. HOSTEL BOOKING

LIGHTHOUSE IMPLEMENTS A LIMIT OF HOW FAR A USER CAN BOOK AHEAD OF TIME, WHICH IS A DAY.
IT'S TO CONSTRAIN PEOPLE FROM TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE SYSTEM.

A USER HAS TO CHOOSE A CHECK IN TIME DURING THE DAY AT WHICH THE HOSTEL CAN EXPECT THEM.

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02. MAP FEATURES: SCHOOL CATCHMENTS + HOTSPOTS

Because we realize our user may have vastly different specifications, we have implemented more features and more refined filters to help them achieve the experience they want. Maps now have overlays that show the different catchments of nearby school districts, as well as common transit options and bus loops in the area.

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03. GRID VIEW

THIS ALLOWS THE USERS TO SEE MOST OF THE RESULTS AT A GLANCE.

THE TILES PRESENT USERS THE MOST RELEVANT INFORMATION BASED ON THEIR FILTERS, SUCH AS THE DISTANCE AND AMENITIES AVAILABLE.

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04. DIRECTIONS

GOOGLE MAPS API IS IMPLEMENTED WITH LIGHTHOUSE TO PROTECT OUR USERS PRIVACY.

THIS ALLOWS THE APP TO AVOID GOOGLE MAPS FROM COLLECTING OUR USER'S DATA WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE.