Safe Havens in Uncertain Times: Inside LGBTQ+ Senior Housing

June 16, 2025

Senior Housing Featured National Operations & Technology

A growing demand for inclusive housing is reshaping the landscape, despite political pressures and economic hurdles.

For LGBTQ+ seniors, who have often spent their lives navigating discrimination and marginalization, the stakes are especially high when it comes to housing. As policies that protect people against housing discrimination based on sexual orientation expanded over the past several decades, more developers started to embrace diversity.

However, the changing social and political climate is making the road to building LGBTQ+-oriented senior housing bumpier.

With that in mind, a growing number of nonprofits, companies and advocates are working to create communities where inclusivity isn’t just a feature, but a foundation.

“Once considered invisible to senior housing providers, LGBTQ+ older people are now recognized as a vital customer base,” said SAGE’s Senior Director Sherrill Wayland. SAGE is a nonprofit that advocates and provides services for LGBTQ+ seniors.

The data supports that observation. A recent report from SAGE and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation examined 274 communities that are committed to LGBTQ+ inclusion and revealed that 99 percent of them adopted non-discrimination policies covering both sexual orientation and gender identity, compared to only 18 percent back in 2021.

Besides health, housing and connectivity issues many aging Americans face, the vast majority of queer seniors, 85 percent, say they also fear discrimination. “Older adults are the fastest-growing group of people experiencing homelessness across the country,” said Gretchen Van Ness, executive director at LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc., adding that queer seniors are overrepresented in that group. As they face increased poverty, isolation and housing insecurity risks, the need for affordable, affirming options is urgent.

Progress and setbacks

As the market starts to respond to growing demand, the question is no longer whether inclusive senior housing is needed, but whether progress of the past few years can continue.

The number of queer-friendly senior housing communities has increased from 184 to 274 since the 2021 edition of the Long-Term Care Equality Index. Most of these communities are located in California, Pennsylvania and Ohio, followed by Mississippi, Vermont, New York and Washington. These communities house more than 29,000 residents, but that’s only a fraction of the nearly one million people age 65 or older who identify as LGBTQ+.

“The demand for LGBTQ+-welcoming senior housing and long-term care continues to grow daily,” said Wayland. Such factors as increased visibility of LGBTQ+ people, legal protections and shifting cultural norms have pushed more developers to prioritize inclusivity. The organization’s SAGECare arm, which trains staff to provide care, and its National Housing Initiative, which supports the development of these communities, are examples of this shift.

The mindset is changing among forward-thinking developers, as well. Pennrose CEO Timothy Henkel doesn’t consider inclusivity an amenity just in LGBTQ+-focused communities, but as a core value throughout the company’s portfolio. “It will always be our belief that every person, regardless of how they identify, deserves a safe living environment where they can be their most authentic self,” he said.

Last year, the firm partnered with LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc. and opened The Pryde, a 74-unit affordable community in Boston catering to individuals 62 or older. Pennrose owns and operates other LGBTQ+-oriented senior housing communities in Cincinnati and last year proposed a similar project in Denver. “Shifts in the national political landscape and social issues don’t impact the type of housing we develop,” said Henkel. “We look to our local partners and communities to tell us where there is a need and who we can serve with high-quality housing.”

The battles shaping senior housing

While the demand for LGBTQ+-oriented senior housing grows, the political and economic environment remains complex and volatile. “Getting affordable housing projects across the finish line, whether LGBTQ+-affirming, veteran or family deals, is extremely difficult in the current climate,” said Henkel. Despite growing interest in the sector, he added, developers need to rely more on soft funding resources. Such factors as tariff-related uncertainty, market volatility and construction costs impact feasibility and create a more competitive environment for securing Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.

To address the funding challenges, SAGE and the Milken Institute explored several financing models. These include social bonds tied to health and housing outcomes, tiered impact investment funds that reduce risks for early-stage development and pay-for-performance models that link investor returns to resident well-being. Other solutions include incentive programs that reward top-performing developments to increase their visibility and partnerships with private equity funds to fill gaps in public funding.

Policy shifts also pose some challenges, such as changes to DEI. “The administration has removed any LGBTQ+ related resources from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website,” noted SAGE Housing Policy Advocate Josh Dubensky.

Despite court rulings putting some of the administration’s actions on hold, uncertainty is already slowing some developers or operators. Housing providers, particularly smaller nonprofits, are concerned about public retaliation or a loss of federal funding if they visibly support LGBTQ+ inclusion. As a result, these providers need to remove their support for the community temporarily.

Although new policies are affecting federal funding, tax credits remain an option for certain providers, as well as state and private funding, Dubensky added.

Another major concern among advocates is the future of the Equal Access Rule, the regulation ensuring that LGBTQ+ individuals cannot be denied access to HUD-funded housing. If the administration is successful in eliminating these regulations, critics say, seniors could be denied housing on account of their sexual orientation or be forced to hide their identity.

The Equal Access Rule can’t be changed without a public comment period, so a priority for SAGE is working with allies and partner organizations across the country to preserve the rule, Dubensky said. Advocates are also doubling down on mobilization and education through SAGE’s National LGBTQ+ Housing Initiative, which combines policy outreach with technical assistance. This approach has been helpful in “rallying funders, developers and community partners to champion the creation of LGBTQ+-affirming affordable housing,” said Wayland.

Where inclusion meets operations, management

Building LGBTQ+-oriented senior housing is just the first step. Keeping a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment requires an intentional management approach. From staff training to tailored community events and resident engagement, there are multiple facets to managing these communities.

Van Ness of LGBTQ Senior Housing noted that they meet monthly with local law enforcement to ensure security and have also invited the broader community into shared spaces.

At the same time, their partners at Pennrose are taking a varied approach by implementing sensitivity training for all staff members and hosting regular events, gathering opportunities and programming, reported Karmen Cheung, the firm’s regional vice president for New England. She emphasized that most elders are eager to participate in social activities and meet their neighbors, as they sometimes might not have a family in the traditional sense. “By having a full schedule of onsite events and activities,” added Cheung, “we hope to foster and support the ‘chosen family’ dynamic we’ve seen develop organically.”

The current climate also shapes how these communities operate. Many residents at The Pryde lived through eras of stigmatization and the current backlash is also raising fears, especially for trans people. In response, LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc. has expanded its wellness offerings, which now include free art therapy classes and support groups led by mental health care professionals, Van Ness said.

One innovative initiative is Rita Hester’s Open Vault, a free onsite commissary stocked with essentials and basic household goods. Funded through grants and donations, as well as by residents who receive prizes through The Pryde Partners program, it makes things more accessible for every resident. “It is both a social hub for residents as well as a tangible daily reminder that they are remembered, cared for and do not need to go without,” Van Ness added.

Is the future at a crossroads?

Looking ahead, providers say that demand will only increase, and so will the complexity of expanding housing for LGBTQ+ seniors. Potential policy changes, federal funding cuts, aging infrastructure and financial pressures pose significant challenges. Yet operators in the sector remain cautiously optimistic. “The opportunity to grow the network through new developments and existing senior housing and long-term communities has never been stronger,” said Wayland.

Van Ness believes that interest in “welcoming and inclusive senior housing communities” will only grow as existing developments become more visible and communities like The Pryde become more well known.

And Cheung stated that sharing your values on a website is not enough, as operators and developers need to become intentional with how they foster communities daily.

The economic climate will continue to have an impact on the sector, although its effect isn’t exclusive to senior housing. Van Ness noted that “increasing building costs and an AMI that does not adjust for senior incomes” often have a deeper impact on LGBTQ+ elders due to social and economic disparities and, sometimes, the lack of a family network or community support.

At the same time, Henkel warned that the competition for soft funding solutions will become more difficult, so partnerships will be key. “If a local community is interested in bringing an LGBTQ+-friendly community to their town, it’s important to work with a developer and project partners who can approach financing creatively,” he said.