‘Making history’: First-of-its-kind LGBTQ+ housing in New England opening soon

BOSTON — Finding affordable housing in the Boston area is a huge challenge, but it’s particularly tough for elderly members of the gay community.

A dream was hatched more than 10 years ago to fill that void.

With a lot of hard work and tenacity, a first-of-its-kind project in New England will soon welcome its first residents.

“Any week now we will be opening our doors and continuing to make history,” said Gretchen Van Ness, executive director of LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc. “We expect to be fully occupied by the fall.”

A renovated school in Hyde Park which has been vacant for years will become 74 units of affordable housing for seniors in the LGBTQ+ community.

The building is called The Pryde.

“We know this generation doesn’t have the strong support networks that folks coming up today can expect from their families and communities,” said Van Ness. “This is the generation that lost family, got kicked out of churches, lost their jobs, lost their homes if they were gay.”

Philippe Saad, the project’s chief architect, said every unit is completely accessible.

“We want people, as their physical condition might change and they need walking devices like a walker or a wheelchair, to be able to remain in their apartments.”

There’s also a big focus on creating community spaces, like a sunroom and an auditorium for performances.

“We know that the LGBT community wants to come together,” said Saad. “It’s really life outside the apartments.”

According to www.pryde.com, it’s estimated that 65,000 older adults who are LGBTQA+ live in Massachusetts. It’s a group that faces some greater challenges than their straight counterparts.

For example, they’re twice as likely to have been diagnosed with a depressive disorder.

They’re more like to be a renter than a homeowner.

They also report having more trouble paying for rent and food.

“We’re addressing something else, which is that human beings need connection. Human beings need community. Human beings, especially our elders, need to be surrounded by things that are engaging,” said Van Ness.

The Pryde started as an idea among a small group dedicated to this mission.

“We went to multiple, multiple neighborhood community meetings,” said Aileen Montour, who was among the first organizers and is now the chairperson of LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc.

Armed with a clipboard and a smile, Montour asked for support – and got it.

“When we submitted our response to the request for proposals to develop this building it was accompanied by over 400 letters of community support, which the city told us was unprecedented. I’m a novice, they said to get letters of support, so I did. . .I think it made a big difference.”

Van Ness thinks living at the Pryde will be transformative for the residents and give them a sense of peace and place.

“To be able to walk out of your door and know that no one is going to be calling you names, regardless of who you are.”

The units will be available to people with a range of incomes, from those who are exiting homelessness, all the way up to those who have the average median income of the Boston area.

The occupants will be selected shortly in a lottery. More than 700 people applied for the 74 units.

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