The senior living industry is facing a supply-demand imbalance, with operators opening few new communities despite a growing need for senior housing and care. This imbalance is particularly concerning for the roughly seven million gay and trans people who will be over 50 by 2030, as they may face difficulties accessing and affording senior housing and care.
According to data from Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders (SAGE), gay and trans elders are more likely to experience homelessness, poverty, and poor physical and mental health. They are also two times as likely to live alone, two times less likely to have children, and five times less likely to be married, meaning there are fewer people in their orbit to care for them as they age.
Challenges Faced by LGBTQ+ Older Adults
Gretchen Van Ness, leader at LGBTQ Senior Housing and executive director of The Pryde, an affordable LGBTQ+ senior housing community near Boston, notes that her organization receives calls and emails from LGBTQ older adults who share stories of being forced back into the closet, being harassed by neighbors and landlords, and being on affordable senior housing waiting lists for years. These individuals are desperate to find a welcoming and affordable senior community.
Van Ness emphasizes that every community includes members of the LGBTQ community, but LGBTQ elders may not disclose their identity due to fear of discrimination. She stresses that senior living operators must assume that there are gay and trans people living and working within their communities and create supports without being asked for them, as this is essential in building a welcoming environment.
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The latest SAGE data from 2025 shows that gay and trans older adults are two-and-a-half times more likely to avoid medical care compared to the general population, and one in four trans older adults feel they must teach their healthcare provider about transgender issues to get the care they need. Almost two-thirds of gay and trans older adults believe they might not have access to the services they will need while they age.
Senior living operators have made progress in supporting their LGBTQ+ workers and residents, but there is still more work to be done. Nearly all of the 274 senior living communities that participated in the latest Long-Term Care Equality Index from SAGE said they had discrimination policies with language that included sexual orientation and gender identity.
Creating Inclusive Communities
The Connie House, a gay-owned and -run assisted living community in Boynton Beach, Florida, and The Pryde near Boston, showcase the importance of creating a safer space for gay and trans older adults. These communities have developed programs to support their residents, including free stores, stipends, and emergency rent funds, which help build an organic and interconnected social web of residents and friends.
Van Ness notes that making senior housing welcoming to LGBTQ seniors makes it welcoming to all. The Pryde’s residents include members of the LGBTQ community, trans and nonbinary community, Haitian and Latino grandparents, white and Black, with a range of temporary and permanent physical and intellectual disabilities. The community’s approach has resulted in a cohesive and supportive environment, with residents and families feeling seen, respected, and cared for.
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At The Pryde, residents dine together during potluck dinners, schedule catsitting and dogsitting over messaging apps, offer each other help with tech and notary services, and visit neighbors in the hospital. This sense of community is a key aspect of the senior living industry, and operators who overlook or avoid support for LGBTQ+ workers and residents undermine this goal.
Van Ness urges senior living operators to create more affordable and middle-market services that older adults can access, particularly in light of the fact that older adults are the fastest growing group of the newly unhoused, and LGBTQ older adults are overrepresented in this group. The demand for such services is high, with The Connie House’s six beds consistently in demand and The Pryde’s 74 independent living apartments having a long waitlist.
Supporting LGBTQ+ Workers and Residents
Senior living operators must assume that there are gay and trans people living and working within their communities. Creating supports for these individuals without waiting for them to ask is essential in building a welcoming environment. Operators must also work to create more affordable and middle-market services that older adults can access.
