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SeniorAdvice Lists LGBT-Friendly Communities

A demand grows for inclusive, welcoming and affordable housing

by Patrick Kiger, AARP, December 15, 2017

LGBTQ Housing

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100 housing variables were evaluated for factors such as access to health care, social and recreational opportunities.

SeniorAdvice, a housing referral service, has published a list of 15 senior living communities across the country that it says are among the most welcoming to older LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender) people.

Lori Thomas, SeniorAdvice associate editor, said in an email that the website (senioradvice.com) considered consumer reviews and information provided by community representatives. SeniorAdvice also used its SeniorScore algorithm, which examines 100 different variables to evaluate locales for factors such as access to health care and social and recreational opportunities. The list doesn’t rank the communities in a particular order.

One featured on the list is the Palms of Manasota, a Palmetto, Fla., condo development that bills itself as America’s first LGBT-friendly retirement community. Another is Fountaingrove Lodge, a Santa Rosa, Calif., community whose website describes it as the first LGBT-focused community to provide continuing care options. It offers luxury amenities such as gourmet dining and concierge services.

Birds of a Feather, a 140-acre gated community near Santa Fe, N.M., is geared toward age 50-plus LGBT seniors who want to enjoy hiking and golf as they age in place.

The list also includes LGBT-friendly affordable housing developments such as the Triangle Square Senior Apartments in Hollywood, Calif., and the John C. Anderson Apartments in Philadelphia.

“I’m happy to see SeniorAdvice and other publications elevating attention to LGBT older adults,” said Kelly Kent, director of the national housing initiative for SAGE, a national nonprofit organization that promotes affordable housing for LGBT seniors.

Kent said there’s growing recognition of the demand for LGBT-friendly affordable housing and that 20 projects around the country are in the early stages of development. SAGE offers a listing of properties on an interactive map on its website at sageusa.org/lgbthousing.