Marti Smith happily worked at the concession stands of Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. But in 2013, as she approached retirement, Smith realized she could no longer afford her apartment of 20 years. So Smith, a lesbian, faced a tough dilemma: move into a community that was either too expensive, or inhospitable to other gay people.
Last spring, Smith, 69 years old, turned to the Center on Halstead, one of Chicago’s largest centers for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. She signed up for a housing lottery, and in September was awarded a subsidized $230-a-month studio apartment in a Center on Halstead housing development built primarily for LGBT senior citizens. “I find myself very fortunate to have found a place where I don’t have to go back into the closet,” says Smith, who works as an usher at a theater near her home. “The ability to be who I am, to live with dignity… I can’t begin to emphasize how much that means.”
Smith represents a new shift.
Housing remains a key element in the country’s economic crisis. But so far, there’s been relatively little national conversation about the housing crisis’ impact on the first generation of openly LGBT senior citizens. This is no small matter: The current population of 1.5 million LGBT seniors is projected to double by 2030. LGBT people face high rates of unemployment, poverty, mental illness and isolation, partly related to persistent homophobia. Nearly 48 percent of older same-sex couples report experiencing discrimination while inquiring about housing in senior living facilities--in some cases receiving less information about available units, or higher fees.
On Tuesday, a coalition of advocacy groups launched a potentially bold national initiative to build a new model for elderly LGBT housing communities and, ultimately, economic security. The new initiative, led by SAGE (Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders), a New York-based advocacy group, also aims to develop government-backed policies and programs to train staffers at traditional senior citizen facilities to more sensitively address the particular needs of LGBT people. “This initiative is desperately needed,” Michael Adams, SAGE executive director, said at a New York press conference announcing the initiative Tuesday. He added: “It’s about people being able to grow old at home—and for many LGBT elders, that’s not possible.”
Details of the initiative are still being developed. Next week, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development and SAGE will host a conference at the White House focused on elderly LGBT housing. Jennifer Ho, senior advisor for Housing and Services at HUD, said the initiative could be a bold new model. “We need to do something with a range of housing options and social support services as people age. The needs of the LGBT community can be front and center.”
Demand for affordable housing for LGBT senior citizens is growing. In the last decade, new LGBT-friendly housing developments have been built in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Minneapolis and Chicago. New York City’s mayor, Bill DeBlasio, has included housing for LGBT people as part of his long-term affordable housing plan.
Much of New York’s initiative is being driven by SAGE, which recently opened a senior citizen community center in the Bronx, a largely Latino and black section of the city. Officials plan to eventually build housing there. The officials declined to disclose the details of how much the initiative will cost, but said it will mostly be covered by foundations and private individuals.
The training portion of the initiative is already being implemented. The National Hispanic Council on Aging has launched pilot programs to train staffers at traditional senior citizen communities to deal with the particular challenges facing elderly LGBT people.
The initiative also calls for federal, state and local policy changes to further protect LGBT people. Only 21 states protect LGBT people against housing discrimination. Eighteen states, and the District of Columbia, protect people from discrimination based on gender identity.
The question of how to provide safe spaces—particularly housing—for LGBT senior citizens isn’t new. Since it was created in New York in 1978, SAGE has quickly grown into a network of nearly 30 affiliates in 20 states that provide support groups, employment services, and even programs for fitness, art, health and education. In New York alone, there are five SAGE centers. And yet, there is growing demand for SAGE’s services
Lujira Cooper, 67, is waiting to be placed in a permanent home. Cooper, who is black and lesbian, never imagined she’d be in this situation. She worked a variety of jobs: editor of a Brooklyn newsletter covering Brooklyn’s music scene. Designing business cards. Entering data into computers. She moved to Florida. But when she returned to New York a year ago, it was difficult to
But soon, Cooper was homeless. She landed a volunteer job in the library and computer room of a SAGE facility, and hopes it turns into a full-time job. Each night, she goes to a homeless shelter. She says that’s a step up from the center she’d go on some nights, hoping to get a bed. Sometimes, she’d sleep in a chair.
She believes racism and homophobia are still challenges at shelters. “When you’re lesbian or gay and it shows--and you’re of color—you add the layers of stuff, and it becomes an issue,” Cooper says.
She hopes to have safe, permanent housing by March. “It needs to be a community, not just the services,” she says.
