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Grows For Gay Senior Homes
by Margaret Ann Miille Interest in communities for gay seniors is growing. When 'Jalna Perry could no longer afford her assisted-living center, she knew she had to move. That meant giving up more than friends and a comfortable place to live. It meant losing the peace of mind of knowing her neighbors had accepted her homosexuality. Perry, 71, has lived in a public senior apartment complex in Cambridge, Mass., for almost a year now. But she still doesn't know her neighbors by name, partly because she's unsure how they'll react when they learn she's a lesbian. She wishes there were a place she could have moved to where her sexuality might not be an issue in meeting new people. "It really isn't any different from any other place, except you wish it were different," Perry said. "It would be much more comfortable living in an area where there are a lot of gays." Manatee County's Palms of Manasota is such a place, perhaps the only one in the country to make the leap from the drawing board. Others are in the planning stages in Boston and San Francisco. The ambitious development about three miles north of Palmetto, was the dream of Bill Laing, a gay retired college professor who used mostly his own money to start a community where gay older people could live openly without fear. Laing died of cancer in May 2000. Palms of Manasota has 34 residents, most of them men. It so far has 21 single-family homes and two villas, each housing three condos. Plans call for a total of 14 villas - two of them containing four units - and an assisted-living facility. John Goodwin, president and chief executive officer, said the project will take three to five years to complete. It has been slowed, he said, by government requirements, such as changing sewage systems planned for the second phase and preserving wetlands. "I think the more time passes, there is more awareness of an actual need for this kind of housing, "Goodwin said. Palms of Manasota is financed by the sale of lots and homes, it also received a credit line last fall of $1.6 million. Goodwin said the shape of the projects has evolved according to needs stated on market surveys. Advocates say that as baby boomers age, the need for gay senior housing is growing. Without it, older gay people are forced back into the closet to avoid discrimination in traditional housing. The aim of gay-specific communities is not to segregate, according to David Aronstein, who is trying to raise $40 million for the Stonewall Communities development for gay people in Boston. "What we're really looking for is a sense of continuity and community," he said. "What we don't want to become is a fortress." Although welcomed by gay advocates, places like Stonewall are likely too expensive for many elders, said Peg Byron, a spokeswoman for the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, a national organization working for the civil rights of homosexuals. For example, single-family homes at Palms of Manasota sold for $150,000 to $175,000 its villas are priced at $154,900 to $159,900. Aronstein said Stonewall's units will be aimed mainly at middle-to upper-income buyers. Stonewall, which will be developed at an undetermined site in the middle of Boston, has plans for an on-site pharmacy, a hair salon and a medical practice staffed by gay and lesbians health-care experts. Advocacy must include making senior housing operators more sensitive to the needs of gays, Byron said. "Our interest is not primarily in special housing, but for gays to be safe and welcome in any area." |