LGBT Aging Roundtable: Affordable Housing & Alternatives - Descriptions

National LGBT Aging Roundtable LBGT Older Adult Affordable Housing & Alternatives Podcast Project & Initiative Descriptions

Existing Housing

Gay and Lesbian Elder Housing Panelists: Mark Supper, Executive Director Gay and Lesbian Elder Housing (GLEH) is a non‐profit, equal opportunity housing provider, whose mission is to build and operate high‐quality, affordable, multicultural housing for low‐income and fixed income seniors with social and recreational services with a non‐exclusive focus on LGBT and HIV/AIDS seniors. GLEH was founded in 2001, and its first affordable housing development, Triangle Square Hollywood, is the nation’s first affordable housing development of private, individual apartments with on‐site services addressing the needs of LGBT elders 62 years and older.

Planned Housing

Openhouse Panelist: Seth Kilbourn, Executive Director Openhouse was founded in San Francisco in 1998 and incorporated in 2000 to break down the barriers preventing LGBT senior from accessing housing, aging‐support services and long‐term care. The mission of Openhouse is to building housing, services and community programs to support the well‐being of LGBT older adults. In addition to services and training, Openhouse is building housing that is welcoming and inclusive of LGBT older adults at all income levels. The first Openhouse housing development will benefit the most vulnerable in our community.

Openhouse has received final approval from the City and County of San Francisco and is in the process of building 109 units of housing with on‐ site support services for low‐income seniors at 55 Laguna St. The historic partnership between Openhouse, the San Francisco Mayor’s Housing Office and a private developer will create a unique new housing resource for San Francisco and fill an urgent need for units that are affordable to seniors who struggle to find a decent place to live in San Francisco’s extraordinary expensive housing market.

William Way LGBT Community Center Panelists: Chris Bartlett, Executive Director and Ed Miller, Senior Programs Coordinator The William Way Center has worked closely with the Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld Fund (DMH) and Penrose Properties over the last year to explore the possibility of building an LGBT‐friendly senior housing property on the community center’s site. Although the project has met some challenges, William Way continues to support the efforts of DMH and Penrose to build LGBT‐focused senior housing in Philadelphia, and will be a partner in providing services when the new project is completed.

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National LGBT Aging Roundtable LBGT Older Adult Affordable Housing & Alternatives Podcast Project & Initiative Descriptions

Center on Halsted/Heartland Alliance, Inc. Panelists: Hope Barrett, Senior Director of Public Programs—Center on Halsted and Michael Goldberg, Executive Director—Heartland Alliance The Center on Halsted and Heartland Housing are partnering to develop a mixed‐use building at the northwest corner of Halsted Street and Addison Avenue (3600‐3616 N. Halsted St.) in the Lakeview community area of Chicago. The primary use will be 79 units of senior housing targeted at very low‐, low‐ and moderate‐income LGBT individuals that are aged 55 and older. The building will also provide 4,164 square feet of ground floor commercial space along N. Halsted St. The development team will preserve the historic police station and construct the building to LEED Silver standards. The total development cost is approximately $22 million.

Artist’s rendering of 3600 N. Halsted

L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center Panelist: Kathleen Sullivan The L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center is pursuing the development of semi‐supportive housing. At this time, we continue to explore an intergenerational affordable housing project.

Community Initiatives

Center on Halsted—LGBT Homesharing

Panelist: Britta Larson, Senior Services Director The Homesharing Program at Center on Halsted has been designed to meet the unique needs of the LGBT community.

Through this program, qualified and well‐screened renters are paired with those who are looking to share their home, often an older adult. In some cases, renters provide household assistance to the Homesharing Provider in exchange for reduced rent. Some of the benefits of participation in this program include companionship, safety, security and financial savings.

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National LGBT Aging Roundtable LBGT Older Adult Affordable Housing & Alternatives Podcast Project & Initiative Descriptions

Spirit on Lake—Rental Program Panelist: Barbara Satin, Founder—GLBT Generations Spirit on Lake is a 46‐unit rental project to be located at 13th Ave. S. and E. Lake St. in south Minneapolis. The project was conceived by the LGBT community from the Spirit of the Lakes Church and is being developed for the aging LGBT and allied community. All units will be affordable to households earning less than 50% area median income. Pending approval of current public funding applications, we will break ground on the project in the summer of 2012 with a spring 2013 occupancy. The project is being jointly developed by PRG, Inc., a not‐for‐profit community housing development organization and Everwood Development in partnership with the Spirit of the Lakes Church.

SAGE of the Rockies—Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) Panelist: Shari Wilkins, Program Coordinator SAGE of the Rockies is a partner in a two‐year grant to study the feasibility of developing a NORC in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, which has a relatively high number of LGBT older residents.

SAGE—Harlem NORC Panelist: Tom Weber, Community Services Director The SAGE Harlem Neighborhood Program is considered a NORC, based on affinity as well as geography. That means we strive to create “safe space” for LGBT older adults in Harlem and those that identify with them by, a) producing opportunities for recreation and socializing; b) providing social services and support; c) facilitating education opportunities; and d) partnering with neighborhood community based organizations and senior centers to raise visibility and improve the quality of services. The SAGE Harlem NORC has office and programming space in the historic Theresa Hotel at 125th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd in the heart of Harlem. In this space, we provide case management and nursing services, hold community meetings and support groups, produce events, respond to walk‐in requests for help and make referrals. All of our services are in Spanish as well as in English.

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