One year ago, on March 22, 2007, The Triangle Square Apartments opened their doors to the LGBT senior community. The project was developed by McCormack Baron Salazar, a nationally recognized developer of affordable urban housing, and Gay and Lesbian Elder Housing (GLEH), a non profit organization based in Los Angeles.  This project is the nation's first "affordable, multicultural housing development supporting the needs of Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender elders" according to a GLEH press release.

Triangle Square consists of 104 residential units (96 one bedrooms and 8 two-bedroom apartments). 34% of the units are dedicated to seniors with HIV/AIDS, individuals who are at risk of homelessness. The developers of this project believe that everyone regardless of income, race or sexual orientation are "entitled to a decent, safe, and friendly living environment."

Many of our readers may remember the film "Bob and Jack's 52 Year Adventure" that the LGBT Aging Project co-sponsored last May at the Boston Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.  This past summer Bob Linscott visited the director, Stu Maddux, and the film's leading men, Bob Claunch and Jack Reavley. The day Linscott arrived Bob & Jack were notified by GLEH that they had been accepted to live at Triangle Square. The men were overjoyed.

 

Linscott traveled to California again this winter for the holidays and stopped in to see how Bob and Jack were adjusting to their new home. Their first comment was that the folks at Triangle Square keep them so busy with activities and social gatherings, that they can't possibly do everything.  The men love their apartment and are slowly venturing out to get to know their new neighborhood. Jack has taken full advantage of all the social gatherings and cocktail parties held in their building, so they are getting to meet their neighbors. 

 

The bottom line is that the two men are happy in their new home and for the first time their fears about out living their income have been put to rest.

 

For more information on Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing (GLEH) & Triangle Square.

Ed Ford, President of the Boston Prime Timers and a member of the LGBT Aging Project's Steering Committee, traveled to the San Francisco Bay Area and toured the Barbary Lane Communities. This is a new development, scheduled to open this spring, that is designed after Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City.

Ed said it couldn't have been any more charming, it is built in an old 1927 art deco hotel which has been restored to look as charming as ever. "The rooms were named after the characters, like Madrigal's Terrace Room, Tolliver's Cappacino & Tea Bar, Mother Mucca's Speakeasy Lounge."  Although Barbary lane caters to both gay men and lesbians (and their friends), Ed tells us that it is a gay man's fantasy with piano bars right on the property, twinkle lights outside by the lake, and regular outings to the wine country and theatrical events.

Maupin, who is involved with the project, writes, "Like the apartment house at 28 Barbary Lane in "Tales of the City," this is a place where every letter of LGBT (and their straight friends, of course) can live life to the fullest and love without boundaries. That's very good news for all of us."

There is a really unique and wonderful movement happening in New Zealand for lesbian elders.

This movement began when a woman named Arafelle Oné wrote an article for a lesbian newsletter. Arafelle had been caring for her partner of 15 years who was then in the final stages of Alzheimer's, forcing her to be moved into institutional care. The letter she wrote described her dream to build a village of loving, caring elder lesbians to care for each other right up until the very end.  She writes, "my personal dream is of a large piece of land with many different sorts of accommodation and facilities - units for one, couples or more living together, a rest home area for the care of the older and less abled, a secure area for those with dementia, and a total hospital care and hospice wing for living, being nursed and dying in."  

Her experience seeing her partner in a nursing home made her realize that this is a time when "we are in most need of being surrounded by loving lesbian energy."  She began to envision a community with communal kitchen and dining areas, gardens and orchards for good organic food and flowers, a swimming pool/gym, natural health clinic, massage, arts and craft work space, a music room etc ....

Her vision was shared by many other elder lesbians who began writing her and encouraging her to pursue this dream.  Now, a number of these women have begun to communicate and make this dream a reality.  The first Lesbian Elders Village hui (Maori word for gathering) was just held in January of 2008 which drew 24 women from all across New Zealand.

The women have already begun work on next year's gathering and their goal is to open the Lesbian Elders Village within two to five years.

For more information on The Lesbian Elders Village

Stonewall Communities and their residential development, Stonewall Audubon Circle has a unique approach that not only weaves together active social and support systems, but a place to enrich the mind and spirit through their Life Long Learning Institute. Unlike LGBT resort-style developments, Audubon Circle is not necessarily being billed as a retirement home, but caters to residents who want to remain connected to a larger active LGBT community. Another unique aspect to this project is Stonewall Connections, which will extend to LGBT seniors in the larger community, not just the ones living in Audubon Circle. These services will help a greater number of people stay connected socially as well as linking them with local services to help them age in their own homes. 

For more information on Stonewall Communities & Audubon Circle

The Kendal Corporation manages Quaker-related not for profit continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) and services for older people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Virginia, New Hampshire, Delaware and Western Massachusetts. As a result of the New York Times article last fall, the Kendal Corporation invited the Aging Project's Director Lisa Krinsky to present on LGBT Aging and Caregiving issues at their December 2007 Leadership Team Meeting in Mendon Hall PA. 

In May of this year Seashore Point will open its doors in Provincetown, Mass offering independent living and continuing care. Seashore Point will be a mixed community offering a nice opportunity for LGBT seniors to live in an open and diverse environment.  Seashore Point will be opening 43 units in May, 36 are already taken. Another 38 units will open during the final phase in 2009 (22 of those units are spoken for).

One of the unique features of this project is the continuing care that Seashore Point offers. They will have 41 nursing home beds, which enable couples who have been separated due to Alzheimer's or Parkinson's to be under the same roof.  Sylvia Foster, Seashore's Marketing Director shared that she has several couples who have not been able to be together for many years due to the long term care needs for one partner. Here, with a social model for independent living the care is brought directly into your home, limiting need for institutional care.

Foster also shared a unique perspective on the clientele who will be taking up residence at Seashore. She found that many LGBT folks over the age of 70 indicate that they prefer to live in a mixed community like this, because "they have led most of their lives in the shadows and they are not ready to out themselves by living in an exclusively gay retirement development." Instead they prefer the balance of gay and straight neighbors. In terms of the current demographics the ratio in May, so far, will be approximately 60% straight and 40% gay, but of the units sold in Phase II it is 80% gay and 20% straight.

New Affordable Housing Development For SF Gay Seniors

by 365gay.com    posted Feb 27, 2008

The post war baby boom is reaching retirement age and for many who are low or moderate income the future looks bleak. On limited social security they may not have the income to remain in their homes.

Openhouse, a non-profit community-based organization founded ten years ago to provide housing, services and community programs for the city's large and growing LGBT senior population announced it was joining with private developer AF Evans and the Mayor's Office on Housing to build a new facility at the former UC Extension site on Laguna.

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Barbara Satin received the Allan Morrow Community Service Award today for outstanding leadership and advocacy related to aging and elder concerns. Satin is a transgender activist and founder of GLBT Generations, a Minneapolis-St. Paul group that educates the public about the needs and concerns of GLBT people as they grow old. The group has been a catalyst for the development in the Minneapolis area of a new 41-unit senior GLBT housing complex in conjunction with Spirit of the Lakes United Church of Christ, Satin's church community.

The GLBT housing complex, called Spirit on Lake, breaks ground in spring 2008 and will open in 2009. Satin is an active leader of City of Lakes Crossgender Community, the largest transgender social support group in Minnesota, and is a member of the United Church of Christ Executive Council, having become the first transgender woman to hold a national leadership role in that denomination.

In accepting the $5,000 award, Satin talked about the struggle over an inclusive ENDA and the subsequent "outpouring of support to the transgender community."

In February the Aging Project had our final Open Door Task Force meeting with Somerville Cambridge Elder Service's Diversity Committee.  These final meetings are always bittersweet because they mark the end of our formal consultation, which in some cases is a process of a year or more.  At this point we have to let go and hope that the agency is able to fully integrate the trainings and consultation that the group experienced through Open Door. In the case of SCES they were well on their way long before the ink on their certificate dried.

Some of their accomplishments include: A Diversity bulletin board in their main lobby, an online resource guide for LGBT Seniors in their area, a diversity statement that highlights their inclusion of LGBT seniors, and a mailing of LGBT Resources to their community partners. The group is now beginning their work on their first LGBT Senior outreach event which we will co-sponsor with them.

Pictured in their graduation photo are: left to right: S.Tilden, HR Director, D.Monteiro, Sr. Case Manager, K.Thomas, Elder Care Advisor, R.Berry, Home Care Supervisor.

Missing from the photo: C.McNeary, RN.

 from 4:30 to 8:30pm

Holiday Inn Ballroom, 1200 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA 02446

 If you would like to be a part of our Pride Team please Call Bob Linscott for more information: (617) 522-6700 x310.

The MassHealth Equality bill (H.4107) sponsored by Rep. Liz Malia and supported by state 42 legislators, proposes that Massachusetts' same sex married couples will have equal access to the spousal benefits and protections that Medicaid offers to opposite sex married couples. These protections help couples retain their home and other valued assets. This legislation is necessary since Medicaid is funded by both state and federal dollars. The bill has remained in 3rd reading for the past few months. Recently, the state's Department of Medicaid produced their cost estimate and we hope this will help move the bill toward the House floor for a vote!

The LGBT Aging Project presented "LGBT Aging 101: What you need to know about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender elders" at the Massachusetts statewide meeting of the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) State Planners. The planners are preparing to conduct a needs assessment for older adults in their respective communities and this was a timely opportunity to increase their awareness of LGBT aging/caregiving issues for their constituents. The Aging Project will work with these planners to include questions for LGBT elders and caregivers throughout the state, with the intent of gathering better data and improving ways to help LGBT Seniors and caregivers.

South Shore Elder Services is currently seeking LGBT Friendly volunteers for a wide variety of positions including friendly visitors, money managers, advisory council members and office help. If you are interested in being a part of their volunteer team please call Jody Hodgdon, Volunteer Coordinator, at 781-848-3910 ext. 430.