‘Maine’s first affordable senior housing community for LGBTQ+ older adults’ has its grand opening

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An affordable senior housing community, described as “Maine’s first affordable senior housing community with programs and services for LGBTQ+ and older adults,” opens Wednesday (August 19). 

Equality Commons is a 54-unit community that is opening next to the Equality Community Center (ECC) at 25 Casco Street in downtown Portland, according to a release from the Equality Community Center. 

The community for residents aged 55 and older will provide “affordable homes and a safe, inclusive place for LGBTQ+ older adults and their allies to age with grace and dignity,” the release stated. 

The grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on Wednesday from 5:30-7:30 p.m., officials said. 

The housing will be situated next to the ECC at 15 Casco Street, which will offer programs and services tailored for the seniors residing there, “specifically designed to support LGBTQ+ older adults,” according to the release.

ECC said the new community will not only address the shortage of affordable housing but also provide a safe, inclusive environment where LGBTQ+ older adults and “other marginalized community members and their allies can age with dignity while remaining connected to community.”

“Equality Commons brings affordable housing, community resources and LGBTQ+-affirming services together in one location,” Ed Gardner, an ECC founding member, said. 

According to the release, “LGBTQ+ older adults can face higher risks of poverty, social isolation, chronic health conditions, discrimination and unstable or hostile living environments. Many are more likely to live alone and have limited family support or caregivers and may encounter discrimination in rental housing because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. As people age and become more reliant on others for care and support, some also fear discrimination or retaliation if they are open about who they are.”

The apartments in Equality Commons are affordable for households earning about 50 to 60 percent of the adjusted median income in the greater Portland area, as determined by MaineHousing, the release stated.

More than 250 people have joined the waitlist for the 54 apartments, officials said. Leasing has officially begun, and they are still accepting names for the waitlist.

Equality Commons features studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments, a community room, a retail café with outdoor seating, a back patio, laundry facilities, and a bike room. Nineteen of the apartments are accessible, the release stated.

Eleven accessible units have been designated for residents with disabilities, including those living with HIV/AIDS, in collaboration with the Frannie Peabody Center.