The City of Brotherly Love will be home to a new affordable housing project for LGBT seniors, a labor of love of Philadelphia Gay News publisher Mark Segal. “In their golden years, LGBT seniors need a safe and loving place to grow old,” Segal told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “This is going to change the lives of so many people.”
For three years, Segal’s been working with nonprofits, politicians and activists to make his dream a reality. The residency—a $19 million six-story, 56-unit building on South 13th and Locust Streets—cleared a major hurdle recently when it won a bid for an $11 million state tax credit. The building will include 2,500 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, plus a community center, social-services offices and a garden.
Segal cited several cases explaining why a gay-centric facility is essential for elderly gays and lesbians: One man reached out to Segal after residents at his nursing home started forming prayer circle around him to lift his homosexuality. Others speak of the loneliness of being the only gay in the retirement village.
“And then, there are people who have lived closeted their whole lives,” Segal said. “For them to be able to move into the gayborhood where they can be surrounded by their community for the first time, do you know what kind of freedom that will give them? The impact that will have?”
Wow, shops, a garden and amenities—all in the heart of Philly’s gayborhood? When can we move in?
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Photo: VisitPhilly.com
averageguy40
If this photo is accurate, they retire a lot earlier in Philly than we do in NC.
JAW
LOL… indeed we do…
actually that pic was from an ad the city ran with the Tag line… “GET YOUR HISTORY STRAIGHT… AND YOU NIGHTLIFE GAY!!”
We are very welcoming here in The Gayborhood… cum visit
HOT_NEW_MP4_3GP_VIDEOS
at least it will give , such sense of humorz to feel and live free for once.
young4ever
old people
ewwwwww
JAW
@young4ever:
Hopefully you will get old one of theses days… it is not as far away as you think
😉
RomanHans
@young4ever: Idiots. Ewww.
acoolerclimate
The problem I see is the PA is such an anti gay State. While Phily may be accepting, the laws in PA suck. Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey are all better to much better. I would say eventually Philly is going to get left behind, while NY, Baltimore, maybe even Wilmington pick up. Too bad Phily can’t become part of NJ. Or get the rest of the State to stop being so conservative.
JAW
@acoolerclimate:
I guess that you did not read the article… The Commonwealth of Pa gave the project an $11,000,000 tax credit. Sounds like Pa is not as anti gay as you think it is. This project will be mainly for single older GLBT’s… so marriage laws will not matter much.
If Md, De, NJ or NY were so much better… why was Pa the first to make it happen?
Schlukitz
@young4ever:
Enjoy yourself. It’s later than you think. – Guy Lombardo Orchestra
JoeyO'H
@young4ever:
Tread lightly, you’ll be old someday and probably socially awkward.
owen
@acoolerclimate: You must not be from Philly to suggest it should be part of NJ, Jebus just wept at that!
Bob
@young4ever: Hope you make it to old age, you little asshole!
13Zeroither
we need more lgbt retirement places cross the country asap
Andrew
This is a very good thing.