LGBT-specific housing in the USA

The purpose of this paper is to outline current efforts in the USA to build and create safe and affirming housing for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults.

The authors approach this task through a survey of existing publicly available information about LGBT-specific housing projects, as well as literature on methods to make existing housing welcoming to LGBT elders.

The authors find that there are a number of LGBT-specific housing options currently available, and many more in the development phase. Additionally, given the large number of LGBT older adults in the USA and the relatively small number of LGBT-specific housing units, the authors also discuss other interventions that can be applied to create safe housing. The practical implication of this research is to provide advocates for LGBT people with a sense of what is happening in the USA, as well as some guidance on how to replicate LGBT affirming housing models in other contexts.

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the only and most comprehensive survey of LGBT-specific elder housing in the USA to be published in the academic literature.