Through community organizing, openhouse is fostering the development of intentional LGBT senior communities so that members can support one another as they age. There is no dispute among health professionals that isolation is an enormous threat to the health and well-being of seniors. That threat affects the LGBT community disproportionately. A 2003 openhouse study found that Bay Area LGBT residents over age 60 were twice as likely to live alone compared to their non-LGBT peers. In San Francisco only 27% of older gay men and 53% of lesbian seniors had children, compared to 80% for heterosexuals of similar age. Without children, partners or close relatives, few LGBT seniors could identify anyone who could assist if they were to need long-term care.

By identifying isolated LGBT seniors and connecting them with neighborhood senior centers and to each other, openhouse is increasing their knowledge of and access to services that support health aging and independence. As our LGBT seniors build networks and connect to services, in the long run the health disparities described above will be reduced.

Despite its location in the world’s most famously gay neighborhood, the Castro Senior Center location had almost no self-identified LGBT participants in 2007. openhouse worked with the Director of the center to create a lunchtime discussion group. In just the first four months, we identified and brought 50 previously un-served LGBT seniors from the neighborhood into the program. The group cohered so well that some participants referred to it as “family” and announced that they had “finally found a home.” Their involvement connected them to services they needed, including grief support, a lunch program, and assistance in finding housing. Because of the strong leadership at the Castro Street Center, the discussion group has grown to over 75 regular participants.

openhouse is replicating the Castro community building work with the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, the 30th St. Senior Center and the Canon Kip Senior Center, which serves the South of Market neighborhood.