Itâs no great surprise that cities and neighborhoods that boast significant LGBTQ populations tend to be the ones with the most gentrification. And while thatâs great for local economies, it also means that many of the same queer folk who help make vibrant neighborhoods such attractive places to live are left priced out when rents inevitably tick ever more skyward.
Add to that the inherent historical challenges of finding queer-friendly housing, and securing a spot to rest your head can be an incredibly daunting task.
While panning for queer-friendly housing gold can still yield success on sites like Craigslist, more people are turning to a bevy Facebook groups across the nation to link up with potential like-minded roommates.
âLetâs keep our friends together in this beautiful city,â reads the tagline of Juanitaâs List, a San Francisco group set up by local drag queen Juanita More.
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.
Another group â Gay Area Housing â also connects queer and queer-friendly house hunters in the area.
With the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment clocking in at around $3500 a month in San Francisco, these groups are needed more than ever for the city to retain the identity that made it a mecca for queer people seeking community.
In New York, where the average rent for a one-bedroom will set you back around $3000, the Queer Housing New York City group has over 22,000 members.
Using one of these groups is easy â just request to join. Once youâve been cleared by an admin (not as scary as it sounds), youâre free to post housing opportunities or respond to othersâ posts to your heartâs content.
Hereâs a handy list of some of the more popular groups operating on Facebook. Happy hunting!
Queer Housing New York City
Queer Housing Boston
Austin Queer/Trans Housing
NOLA Queer Housing
Queer Housing Philly
Portland Queer Housing
LA Queer and Transgender Housing
Seattle Queer Housing Exchange
Juanitaâs List (SF/Bay Area)
Gay Area Housing (SF/Bay Area)
alanballs
These queer and queer friendly community on-line sites are a fantastic thing. đ
$3500 for a one bedroom in San Francisco? That’s just crazy wrong.
My (new, high-rise, luxurious, fully appointed) 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom condo costs me 3500 RMB a month (granted, I’m in Dongguan China)…..
Bob LaBlah
By now I thought we all knew there is no such thing as a gay neighborhood anymore. The price of real estate and the extortion landlords can legally get for studio’s and one bedroom plus apartments make it very difficult for renters to stay in any area regardless of sexual orientation or how much they love where they live. It seems like only yesterday when a job paying $35k per yr was considered a living wage paying job. In most big cities you are nowadays that salary qualifies you for something no more than two blocks away from skid row.
ChrisK
San Francisco is officially dead as a gay mecca. Beverly Hills is now more affordable.