Women's History Month: Cay Marquart

Introduction

In 1995, March was declared as Women’s History month, a time to celebrate women’s achievements and accomplishments in history (womenshistorymonth.gov). In the same spirit, LEAP Housing would like to recognize the outstanding women who have contributed to sustainable housing efforts through a series of blog posts. So, let’s start with Cay.

Her Story

Cay Marquart is a Nebraska native and now resident of Ada County. You may have seen Cay out and about cycling, hiking, or river rafting with her partner or working alongside the Boise\Ada County Homeless Coalition. Before moving to Idaho, Cay completed a master’s degree in English and German and began a career in teaching that spanned 28 years. However, Cay’s passion for helping others didn’t end in the classroom. Cay has a long history as an activist; her passion for equality has taken her to Martin Luther King rallies, abroad to countries, protesting inequality, and to her “backyard”, supporting neighbors who needed a helping hand. Cay’s partnership with LEAP Housing is just one way Cay supports the communities of Idaho.

Impact on Community 

What does community mean to you? For Cay, community means reaching out. To connect with her community, Cay works alongside organizations that advocate for people who are income limited and experiencing homelessness. Cay is an adamant LEAP advocate, having donated property and $10,000+ towards the construction of housing communities. When it comes to affordable housing, every penny counts, and Cay’s contribution has made a major difference in the lives of Boise residents.

The House the Community Built

Cay and the LEAP Housing team go way back - when Cay and her partner retired to the Boise area in 2006, Cay purchased property in West Boise with the dream of building a tiny house community. This piece of property started the gears moving towards creating LEAP’s first modern sustainable housing community. Through the efforts of LEAP Housing and donors like Cay, Windy Court became a reality. Windy Court now provides 8 families with modern and beautiful affordable housing.  

Cay not only had a monetary impact on the creation of Windy Court, but also one of sustainability, having asked that the homes come equipped with solar roof panels, native plants, and a garden area for the families. Cay hopes that her contribution will ignite a fire in the community and set an example for future projects. 

Thank You

In his book A Path Appears, Nicholas Kristof said “drops in the bucket matter-that’s how you fill buckets. And it’s by filling these buckets we’ll create real change.” Women’s history is only celebrated in the month of March, but Cay’s contribution to the people of Idaho will reach generations to come.  Cay is truly a partner in building home, together.

If you'd like to read more of Cay’s story and ties with LEAP Housing, you can check out her Housing Heroes profile here: https://www.leaphousing.org/blog/housing-heroes-cay.