Affordable Housing

*This was published by The Advocate

Ground has been broken in Pittsburgh for what will be the first LGBTQ-focused senior housing complex in western Pennsylvania and the second in the state overall.

Groundbreaking took place Thursday for the Mosaic Apartments in the city’s Oakland neighborhood, which is home to the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, along with museums, health care providers, and an eclectic mix of shops and restaurants. The 48-unit complex will open in the fall of 2025, according to local media.

The affordable housing development is a project of Presbyterian SeniorCare Network, which was approached about seven years ago by the Persad Center, a provider of LGBTQ-affirming mental health services.

“One of their staff members said, ‘Can you build us an apartment building?’ It was a beautiful opportunity for us to enhance our mission and help a greatly underserved and often discriminated-against population,” Jim Pieffer, president and CEO of Presbyterian SeniorCare, told TV station WTAE.

Presbyterian SeniorCare raised $30 million for the complex but was able to acquire the land for free thanks to the University of Pittsburgh and its medical center, Pieffer told another station, KDKA.

Persad Center CEO Martin Healey told KDKA that LGBTQ+ people sometimes encounter problems in senior housing. “It’s scary — you sometimes have to go back into the closet,” he said. “There’s not necessarily a safe space all the time. … We’ve seen situations where they have fear and have isolation and loneliness that hopefully this type of place will break.”

“My hope is that this is the start of something far bigger and far greater for our community, not just here in Pittsburgh, but more across the country,” he added.

By 2030, there will be 7 million LGBTQ+ seniors in the U.S., SAGE National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging estimates.

Prospective Mosaic Apartments residents can begin applying next March.

*This was first published for The Architect’s Newspaper

The U.S. has always been a difficult country to “age in place”—seniors who can’t find lodging with a loved one are often relegated to nursing homes, if they can afford the fees. The situation gets even more precarious for LGBTQIA+ seniors, who commonly see bias in the rental application process, and get turned down for apartments at high rates.

Things are especially dire in Texas, where state law doesn’t protect individuals from housing discrimination based on their sexual orientation, although LGBTQIA+ individuals are still protected under the federal Fair Housing Act. This exacerbates the problem and puts even more people at risk of poverty and social isolation.

Perkins&Will’s Dallas studio recently completed a new affordable housing project to help combat this public health crisis. Today, Oak Lawn Place in Dallas represents north Texas’s first affordable housing development of its kind, the architects shared. It offers 100 percent affordable housing for LGBTQIA+ seniors, 55 years of age and older.

Karen Chen of Sunshine Studios created a bespoke mural on every floor of the building. (James Steinkamp)

The Dallas neighborhood of Oak Lawn has been the beating heart of north Texas’s LGBTQIA+ community for decades. Oak Lawn Place was built with the developer Matthews Southwest, Volunteers of America, and Resource Center, one of the largest LGBTQIA+ community centers in the country and a key north Texas HIV/AIDS service organization.

“I’m seeing Oak Lawn Place transform people’s lives,” Resource Center CEO Cece Cox said in a press statement. “A project like this elevates everyone and makes Dallas a better place.”

In plan, Oak Lawn Place is shaped like a C. This was meant to increase natural light exposure within every unit; this feature also provides a protective wing that surrounds an outdoor deck, hidden from public view. The deck has great views of the site’s sloping topography and a nearby creek.

Mural by Karen Chen of Sunshine Studios (James Steinkamp)

Karen Chen of Sunshine Studios created a bespoke mural on every floor of the building, which helps with wayfinding. Oak Lawn Place was designed with maximum accessibility in mind—everything from the hallway seatings, elevator lobbies, to wheelchair-friendly doorways are meant to provide a positive user experience.

The design of Oak Lawn Place is economical and efficient, yet still manages to have splashes of color here and there; the facade has a rainbow flag to signify all are welcome. The 80,000-square-foot building has a total 84 units. It’s within walking distance of public transit options and Resource Center’s Community Center.

The building has a shared kitchen and other community-building amenities. (James Steinkamp)

“Oak Lawn Place helps make Dallas a more inclusive, inviting city—for those considering moving here and for those wondering, as a queer person, ‘Will I truly feel welcome? Are there spaces in Dallas for me?’ We are honored and proud to bring this project to life,’” Cox continued.

A new healthcare facility, Resource Center Health, will open across the street from Oak Lawn Place later this year.

Tag: Affordable Housing

Ground broken for LGBTQ-focused senior housing in Pittsburgh

North Texas’s First LGBTQIA+ Affordable Senior Housing Development Completed