[This Senior Spirit column appears in the November/December 2019 issue of Boston Spirit magazine. Subscribe for free today.]
There are so many indicators that determine if a city is truly inclusive and welcoming to the LGBTQ community. For some, it is having an LGBT community center, while other cities boast about how many LGBTQ elected officials they have or the size of their Pride parade. But as we move past marriage equality, there is one benchmark that is gaining momentum as a true indicator of a cities’ commitment to the full life span of its LGBTQ community: affordable senior housing that is designated as LGBTQ friendly.
Although Massachusetts has become a national leader for LGBT inclusive work at the city and state level, Boston has now fallen way behind the trend toward LGBT-friendly senior housing that other cities have developed, like Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, San Diego and Philadelphia, to name just a few. Actually there are over 20 cities that have designated LGBTQ-friendly senior housing buildings across the country with none in Boston or anywhere in New England.
Safe, affordable and welcoming housing is a real need. When the Massachusetts Special Commission on LGBT Aging did listening sessions across the state in their first year of legislative work, the number one concern echoed in every single community was “where can we go when we get older?” The need to develop LGBT-friendly senior housing became one of the LGBT Aging Commission’s first recommendations in their report to the legislature in 2015.
Community leaders in any of the 20-plus cities that have designated LGBT-friendly senior housing buildings will tell you that this doesn’t happen overnight. In fact it takes years of planning and working with city leaders, developers and community members. LGBT “friendly” does not mean LGBT “exclusive” either. These buildings are open to anyone, but they strive to be safe and welcoming residences for LGBTQ older adults who don’t want to go back into the closet at the end of their lives. These buildings bring LGBT and non-LGBT community members together in an environment where diversity and community are celebrated.
For over five years a group of LGBT community members and leaders have been working tirelessly, first as the LGBT Senior Housing Task Force and more recently after incorporating as LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc. The organization is committed to facilitating access to safe, welcoming and affordable housing for low-income LGBTQ seniors, including through a formal role in the development of such housing; to define onsite housing services and programming that address the needs of LGBTQ seniors; and to support community space to serve seniors in the Greater Boston community.
This work has led us to submitting a proposal to acquire a decommissioned school building in Hyde Park, the William Barton Rogers School.
The stars couldn’t bring into alignment a better team to take on this project. This team includes Philippe Saad, an architect who is committed to building LGBT-friendly senior housing with Dimella Shaffer, a firm with expertise in senior living. The team also includes Lisa Krinsky and myself, from the LGBT Aging Project at Fenway Health bringing over 30 years of combined work with Boston’s Elderly Commission and with elder care providers all across the state. Many of the community members on the team represent the target population for the building including Aileen Montour, the board president who has dedicated every ounce of her time to this project. The board also hired the award-winning development firm Pennrose, which developed The John C. Anderson Apartments, Philadelphia’s celebrated LGBT-friendly senior housing.
This is the moment for all these players to come together and make all this hard work into a reality for the city of Boston. This is a chance for the city to shine. There will be so many opportunities to build traditional senior housing, but when will this opportunity present itself again for a truly inclusive and welcoming building? It has been wonderful to see all the recognition other mayors have received after opening similar projects in their cities. At the opening of North Park, LGBT-friendly senior residences in San Diego, Mayor Kevin Faulconer said, “This new development is open to all and provides a positive and supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender seniors; a first for San Diego and one of only a handful in the nation.” Opening a truly welcoming and inclusive senior residence in Boston would be something our own mayor and city council could take great pride in along with the whole community.
Three different proposals were submitted to the city for this building. All were focused on senior housing. The three teams presented their proposals in September to the Hyde Park community. Now we are in a period where folks are asked to write in with their support.
To support this initiative in Boston, contact the mayor’s office at mayor@boston.gov. For more information about this project, contact Aileen Montour aileenmontour@gmail.com.
Bob Linscott is assistant director of the LGBT Aging Project at The Fenway Institute.
Not a subscriber? Sign up today for a free subscription to Boston Spirit magazine, New England’s premier LGBT magazine. We will send you a copy of Boston Spirit 6 times per year and we never sell/rent our subscriber information. Click HERE to sign up!
