I Don't Have to Hide': LGBTQ Seniors Find Comfort in Affirming Housing Communities

The U.S. government has funded nine "LGBTQ-friendly" affordable senior housing communities over the past decade, reports NBC News . These communities are devoted to creating an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere for older LGBTQ adults. Their strategies for promoting openness includes informing prospective residents that the building or complex is LGBTQ-friendly, hosting onsite events that serve local LGBTQ nonprofits, and holding meetings or support groups for LGBTQ organizations. A Pew Research Center survey found Americans born between 1928 and 1945 are significantly less accepting of LGBTQ people than those from later generations. Another study in the International Journal of Aging and Human Development determined LGBTQ adults ages 80 and up have higher disability rates, a greater likelihood of developing chronic diseases, and more susceptibility to psychological and mental health disparities than their non-LGBTQ peers. "As their support system gets smaller, it leaves them at risk, because they have no safety net," noted study author Karen Fredriksen Goldsen. LGBTQ affordable housing proponent Mark Segal said the push for such housing communities should intensify nationwide, with roughly 12 new communities currently in the planning stages.