In April 2008 openhouse received permission from the City of San Francisco to build a new senior housing facility expressly welcoming to LGBT seniors at 55 Laguna Street, the site of the former UC Extension campus in San Francisco. We have joined with private developer AF Evans and the Mayor’s Office on Housing (MOH) to build the new facility, which, in addition to urgently-needed housing, will provide a permanent base of operations for openhouse and its full range of programs. With at least 88 units of affordable housing, the facility will include on-site support services that will be welcoming to LGBT seniors.

The historic partnership between openhouse, the Mayor’s Housing Office and a private developer would never have been achieved without the support of our funders, the leadership of openhouse and our steady resolve and undeniable ability to educate, persuade and nurture a network of allies over a long period of time. Our commitment to housing extends beyond this first facility. openhouse will pursue additional opportunities to build mixed-income and market rate housing welcoming to LGBT seniors.

Recognizing that LGBT seniors need housing now, openhouse is building a directory of affordable senior housing.  The directory will reflect the most up to date information we have compiled on several senior housing complexes in SF.  The listings will be organized by neighborhood and include pertinent information around waiting lists, rent range, income eligibility, meals and degree of LGBT-sensitivity.   To ensure these housing sites are welcoming to LGBT seniors, openhouse volunteers are visiting each site to the facility and interview the manager(s). We need more volunteers to for this exciting project. We expect the directory to be online by December 2009.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Jason Alley at 415.296.8995 or email him.

In the meantime, don’t hesitate to call Michell Alcedo at 415.266.9995 or email her for information on available housing opportunities.