LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc., Pennrose, City of Boston, local officials, and project partners celebrated Pride Month with the grand opening of The Pryde, Boston’s first LGBTQ-affirming affordable housing community for seniors aged 62 and older. Located in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood, The Pryde has transformed the historic Rogers Middle School site into a vibrant community of 74 mixed-income rental homes with on-site amenities, supportive services, and a community center run by LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc.
Speakers at the grand opening celebration included: Mayor Michelle Wu, City of Boston; Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Secretary Edward Augustus Jr., Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Representative Robert Consalvo, 14th Suffolk District, Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Ruthzee Louijeune, City Council President, Boston City Council; Ryan Sfreddo, Chief Executive Officer, Red Stone Equity Partners; Philippe Saad, Vice President, LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc. Board & Principal, DiMella Shaffer;Charlie Adams, Regional Vice President, Pennrose; Aileen Montour, President, LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc.; Gretchen Van Ness, Executive Director, LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc.
The Pryde includes studio, one-, and two-bedroom modern apartments available to households earning less than 30% to less than 100% of the Area Median Income (AMI), about $36,690 to $103,900 for a one-person household. Several apartments will be set aside for the formerly homeless and 60% of the units will give preference to current Boston residents at initial lease-up.
“Today marks a monumental step forward for inclusion and diversity in Boston. The grand opening of the city’s first LGBTQ-affirming affordable senior housing community fulfills a critical need for our most vulnerable older adults,” said Gretchen Van Ness, executive director, LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc. “The Pryde is more than just apartments – it is a community where everyone, no matter who they love or how they identify, can live with dignity.”
Residents will have access to robust on-site amenities, including resident lounges, sunroom, large event and gallery spaces, classrooms for continued learning, a fitness center, on-site laundry, an outdoor courtyard, and more. Hyde Park’s 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Company A, a 501(c)(3) reenactment organization, will have office and display space in the building. LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc. will also provide on-site programming and supportive services to support aging in place for all elders, including LGBTQ seniors, and will host local events, meetings, activities, and workshops in the on-site community center.
The brand-new apartments feature modern kitchens with a dishwasher and electric range, spacious closets, and central A/C. In addition to on-site amenities, The Pryde is located near shops, restaurants, and a variety of cultural and outdoor amenities, including the Riverside Theatre Works, Menino Arts Center, YMCA, Ron’s Gourmet Ice Cream, and the public library. The community is also close to two MBTA commuter rail stops serving the Fairmont and Providence lines.
—from an LGBTQ Senior Housing press release
More: lgbtqseniorhousing.org
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