Best Gay Retirement Communities
Gone are the days when a gay man’s best hope for a fantastic retirement was finding a “roommate wanted” notice on a grocery store bulletin board. This is now your new directory.
Best Gay Retirement Communities by State
Best Gay Retirement Communities in AZ
The pueblo
A women-only RV and mobile home park in Apache Junction, AZ is a private gated community for residents 55 and older in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. The group is close-knit and helpful, hosting fun events for residents and providing beautiful scenery on the property.
Best Gay Retirement Communities in California
Fountaingrove Lodge
Fountaingrove Lodge is ideal for residents looking for a combination of independence and fun. It is the first LGBT senior community in the country to offer 5-star living with personalized care as needed. What is 5-Start Life?
From gourmet dining and concierge services to spa treatments and housekeeping, the attentive staff caters to all of the residences’ needs. This is 5 star living.
From chocolate parties to wine nights to golf games and pride events, every LGBT person will find something to love about Fountaingrove. This is 5 star living.
Alzheimer’s and dementia care is available at Fountaingrove.
Assisted Living at Stonewall Gardens
If you love Palm Springs – and what gay man doesn’t? – You’ll love assisted living at Stonewall Gardens. With a diverse group of LGBT seniors and friends and a wide range of services including assisted living, residents of Stonewall Gardens’ assisted living program enjoy community benefits and a good quality of life.
Assisted living at Stonewall Gardens is ideal for residents who need assistance with everyday activities and desire a quieter, home-like atmosphere.
Gay and lesbian senior housing
The mission of Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing (GLEH) is to improve the living experience of LGBT seniors and HIV/AIDS communities by developing affordable housing, providing comprehensive care, and ensuring a brighter future for the LGBT elder community.
If GLEH’s first development, Triangle Square – Hollywood, is any indication, the LGBT community has high hopes. Located in the heart of Hollywood’s most vibrant redevelopment district, the $20.3 million, 104-unit apartment community offers social services, classes and cultural events to both residents and the entire LGBT community.
North Park Senior Apartments
With 76 apartments for seniors ages 55 and older, North Park Senior Apartments are conveniently located near the Rapid Bus Line, the regional bike corridor, shopping, dining and job centers. It is 100% ADA accessible and features many common spaces, including a community center and lounge, a courtyard and a rooftop terrace with views of the San Diego skyline.
The best part is that the San Diego LGBT Community Center offers on-site services for residents.
Best Gay Retirement Communities in DC
Mary’s House for older adults
Located at 401 Anacostia Road, SE, Mary’s House for Older Adults is “a model of housing that celebrates the ‘whole person’ as we age” for all. The 15-unit LGBT-friendly facility aims to meet the emotional, recreational, social and related needs of older adults through health and wellness programs, hydrotherapy coordination and social services.
Best Gay Retirement Communities in FL
The resort on Carefree Boulevard
The resort is a 50-acre lesbian community with 278 homes and RV sites for over 500 women. Many properties overlook tropical freshwater lakes and nature reserves. All sites are designed to accommodate manufactured homes or mobile homes in natural surroundings.
The resort hosts talent shows, kayaking, cycling, potluck dinners, dances and art shows. The main events are the Rainbow Olympics, which last two weeks every two years, and The Lily, its version of the Oscars, where videos are submitted for judging and subsequent gala awards ceremony.
The Palms of Manasota
This 21-unit senior living community is located in the Tampa Bay areas of Florida between St. Petersburg and Sarasota. Both have thriving LGBT communities and a gay retirement community with single and condominiums.
Organized and impromptu dinners, holiday parties, home music nights, and informal gatherings form the social fabric of The Palms of Manasota and a “We Care” committee in times of need.
Wilton Manors
Because of its large LGBT population, Wilton Manors was named the “second gayest city in the United States” in 2010. For years it has been a progressive place to live, work and play.
There has been a strong gay presence on the city commission since the late 1980s, when the city of Wilton Manors elected Broward County’s first gay official in 1988. LGBT+ City Commission – second only to Palm Springs, California.
From flea markets to book collections to tree giveaways and 146 assisted living facilities, Wilton Manors quickly becomes a home when needed.
Best Gay Retirement Communities in IL
Town Hall Apartments
Chicago’s first LGBT-friendly, $23.7 million seniors 55-plus housing complex features 79 units, a mix of affordable one-bedroom and studio apartments in Chicago’s gay district, better known as Boystown.
Townhall Apartments is the success of a joint project between Heartland Alliance, the anti-poverty group that develops and manages the property, and Center on Halsted, Chicago’s LGBT resource and cultural center, which provides case management and programming services.
Best Gay Retirement Communities in MA
The Residences at Seashore Point
A 55+ community that welcomes residents from all Singles and married couples, gays and straights, professionals and retirees live in the Residences at Seashore Point.
Located two blocks from Commercial Street and a short drive to the beach, The Residences at Seashore Point offers maintenance-free living so you can better enjoy Provincetown’s restaurants, arts, cultural events and festivities.
Provincetown, better known as PV, has long been a haven for LGBT people.
Best Gay Retirement Communities in MN
Spirit on Lake Apartments
This 46-unit, one- and two-bedroom affordable apartment complex is located on the vibrant corner of Lake Street and 13th Avenue South, between the Midtown Phillips and Powderhorn neighborhoods in south Minneapolis. Spirit on Lake Apartments offers a common room and lobby, a fitness center, an outdoor terrace and beautiful green spaces.
Best Gay Retirement Communities in NC
Carefree Bay
Carefree Cove is a private and upscale gay and lesbian community in a mountain setting perfect for vacation and year-round living. Carefree Cove lies deep in the forest and offers sweeping mountain views, brilliant wildlife and a temperate climate between 33 and 69 degrees.
Village Hearth Cohousing
The 15-acre wooded property just 20 minutes from downtown Durham, NC, known as Village Hearth Cohousing, is the first 55+ cohousing community in the U.S. founded by and for LGBTQ people, friends and allies became. Cohousing means that everyone actively participates in the design and operation of the neighborhood.
Proximity to higher education, arts, sports, medicine and natural attractions make Village Hearth a draw.
Best Gay Retirement Communities in New Mexico
Birds of a Feather
Birds of a Feather is an LGBT-friendly community in sunny northern New Mexico, the “Land of Enchantment,” just outside the village of Pecos and 30 minutes east of Santa Fe. Tucked away in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Birds of a Feather offers hiking on its 140-acre property, gaming, golf and community 300 days of sunshine per year.
Head to Santa Fe and enjoy its pueblo-style architecture and world-famous art scene, including the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, or pamper yourself at Ten Thousand Waves, Santa Fe’s Japanese-inspired hot springs and spa.
The Best Gay Retirement Homes in New York
Crotona senior residences
Crotona Senior Residences is a 65,000-square-foot, seven-story, 82-unit mixed-use residence for LGBT seniors supported by SAGE in Crotona Park North (CPN) in the Bronx. The building combines low-income senior housing with an innovative LGBT senior center on the ground floor to serve the building’s residents and all seniors in New York City.
This high-performance building is designed and equipped to support “aging in place.” It has a laundry room, a common room and a terrace with garden plots for landscaping that provide shade and a connection to the park’s local park. Meals and recreational activities take place daily in the Great Room. A library/classroom and cyber center complete the senior program spaces.
Ingersoll Senior Residences
The 16-story, 145-unit Ingersoll Senior Residences (ISR) on Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn is New York City’s first affordable, LGBT-friendly senior housing community. ISR was also founded in collaboration with SAGE and was intentionally built as an intersectional community.
The Best Gay Retirement Homes in Ohio
A place for us
A Place for Us Housing is an LGBT-friendly senior living community located on the border of Cleveland and Lakewood. It offers one- and two-bedroom apartments for people over 55 years old. It is conveniently located near the West 117th RTA Rapid Station and offers numerous amenities as well as shopping and parks.
Additional amenities include a fitness room, library, meditation room, laundry facilities, health and wellness suite, lush gardens and more.
Best Gay Retirement Communities in OR
Rainbow Vista
An LGBT senior community (55+) with studio and one-bedroom options in Gresham, OR, 15 miles from downtown Portland. Rainbow Vista amenities include a spacious event room, a community room, a theater with large screen television and surround sound, an exercise room, a game room with a pool table and a music room.
To enhance the sense of entertainment and community, Rainbow Vista regularly hosts activities including patio barbecues, movies in an on-site theater, birthday and holiday get-togethers, and occasional outings to local restaurants.
Rainbow Vista is not equipped to meet the needs of assisted living.
Best Gay Retirement Communities in PA
John C Anderson Apartments
John C. Anderson Apartments is a pet-friendly, LGBT-friendly senior (62+) community located in the heart of downtown Philadelphia and just minutes from Philly’s official Gayborhood, including the Avenue of the Arts, William Way Community Center, an LGBT community center and Mazonni Health & Legal Clinics, as well as LGBT-friendly restaurants and businesses.
All one-bedroom apartments have access to a welcoming common room, a shared outdoor terrace, a library and various events and services for residents.
Best gay retirement communities in WA
Discovery Bay Resort
Created by women for women, this 115-space RV community is located on Washington’s scenic Olympic Peninsula (midway between Sequim and Port Townsend). It is intended for temporary visitors, seasonal snowbirds and year-round residents.
With amenities such as an office and lounge with fully equipped kitchen, television, computer and printer, WiFi and mailboxes, a small heated swimming pool, low-cost laundry, gym, community garden, shared maintenance shed and store, and gated entry. and meeting facilities, as well as free RV and boat parking, this place has it all.
Discovery Bay Resort’s grounds also feature apple and blackberry trees, a pet run, a large off-leash lawn and open areas with evergreen trees.
Best lesbian retirement communities
Unfortunately, the small number of LGBTQ retirement communities suggests that there are even fewer women or lesbian retirement communities. As of this writing, there are currently three all-lesbian retirement communities. They are:
- The Pueblo in AZ
- The resort on Carefree Boulevard in Florida
- Discovery Bay Resort in WA
Other Retirement Options
SAGECare certification
There simply aren’t enough gay retirement homes to meet demand, but gay- and LGBT-friendly facilities can help make up the difference. Luckily, SAGE (Services & Advocacy for LGBT Elders in America) offers SAGECare. The SAGECare program trains care providers to better understand the unique needs of the LGBT community.
SAGECare is committed to ensuring the availability of skilled nursing facilities, healthcare organizations, assisted living communities, hospice care, long-term care and more.
If any of the above gay retirement communities aren’t accessible to you, look for an LGBT-friendly facility with a SAGECare certification.
LGBT assisted living
You may or may not need more personalized care. In this case, it may make sense to consider assisted living.
LGBT assisted living typically offers 24-hour concierge services and may use outside providers for medical care and other needs.
Here’s how to plan a fantastically gay retirement
The best time to start saving and investing for retirement is always now. Too often, especially among LGBT people, we are emotionally or physically ready to retire before we are financially prepared.
You have time when you are in your 20s, 30s, 40s or even early 50s. When you’re older, it’s time to get serious.
Below you will find a good way to get started, regardless of whether you are 20 or 65 years old.
1. Calculate your net worth (assets minus liabilities)
The first step in preparing for retirement, your goal, is knowing where you are today. To do this, you need to know exactly how much money, minus debts, you have today.
The second step is to estimate how much money you will need in retirement, including housing, healthcare and other living expenses.
First, add up all of your assets, including money saved for emergencies, money in individual retirement accounts (likely a traditional IRA or Roth IRA), company-sponsored retirement accounts (likely 401(k) or 403(b)), and health savings accounts (HSAs). ) and any other funds and investments you have elsewhere.
Write down your total assets on a piece of paper.
Second, add up all of your liabilities and other debts, including money you owe friends and family, car loans, mortgages, home equity lines of credit you have drawn on and own, student loans, and any other money you owe anyone , including Uncle Sam.
Write all of your debts or liabilities on the same piece of paper.
Then subtract your total debts and liabilities from your total assets. If this number is negative or very low, i.e. less than 25 times your expected annual retirement expenses, you will need to make some savings and investments before you can retire sensibly and comfortably at age 65.
2. Calculate how much you can spend each year in retirement
Even today, but especially in retirement, you should be extremely clear about where every penny comes from and where it goes so that you have enough money to last throughout your retirement. Most experts recommend that you spend between 70 and 80% of your current salary. So if you spend $50,000 a year, you’ll probably need between $35 and $40,000 a year.
3. Generate part-time work or additional income
Contrary to popular belief – or hope – you can work in retirement if your retirement income doesn’t cover or exceed your retirement costs.
4. Social Security Benefits Plan or Lack thereof
A good rule of thumb for Social Security benefits is not to rely on Social Security benefits if you don’t need them.
However, to estimate what value Social Security could provide you, use the Social Security Calculator Before claiming Social Security benefits, calculate the optimal age to receive your Social Security benefits. It’s not always like that when you think.
Social Security spousal and survivor benefits are two of thousands of reasons the LGBT community is pushing for marriage equality.
5. Buy life insurance
We often only think about life insurance when we start starting a family. Therefore, many same-sex couples who do not have children do not think much about life insurance. But today’s life insurance doesn’t just help our partners and family members when we die. It:
- Protects against creditors: Debt doesn’t disappear when you die. Depending on the type of debt you have and your financial situation, your loved ones may have to repay your loans. Consider purchasing life insurance to pay off your debts after your death.
- Leaves an inheritance: If you want to leave an inheritance to one or more people, life insurance can be helpful. You can leave an inheritance to family members, friends, former partners and foster children.
- Donate to charities: Life insurance allows you to make donations to charities, ensuring that your favorite organizations continue to exist long after you do.
- Helps finance medical care: Health care can take up to 30% of retirement savings. Life insurance policies may include provisions such as an accelerated death benefit, which allow tax-free payments to cover medical care in certain “critical” circumstances.
6. Get long-term care insurance
Speaking of insurance, LGBT people should consider purchasing long-term care insurance (LTCI). LTCI is one of the more complex parts of medical care because it often requires the physical labor of others.
However, the benefit to you is that LTCI can help with basic needs at home such as cooking, eating and cleaning, as well as support you with assisted living needs such as your daily physical well-being such as bathing and going to the toilet.
If financial resources or insurance are insufficient, the decision about how you will be cared for may be left to the state or an assigned guardian. You want to live out your remaining years on your own terms, not those of others.
7. Take out appropriate health insurance
If you are employed and have company health insurance, taking out health insurance is not a problem.
If you are over 26 years old, do not have health insurance with your parents and are unemployed, employed part-time, self-employed or retired, you must take out health insurance. If you’re retired and under age 65, you’re probably no longer eligible for company-sponsored health insurance (although some, very limited companies offer it). You must take out private insurance.
Even if you are retired, age 65, and on Medicare, you should consider private health insurance with Medigap or Medicare Advantage to supplement Medicare. Studies show that LGBT people tend to have higher healthcare costs than our heterosexual peers, and you don’t want to take the risk of inadequate healthcare.
However, health care is never easy or cheap, which is why it is so important for LGBT people to prepare more for retirement.
The Biggest Concerns for LGBTQ Retirees
Healthcare costs
Health care and insurance in the United States, particularly for LGBT people, is inadequate and constantly changing.
Living alone without family support
According to a SAGE study, retired LGBT people are more likely to have no children, be single and live alone.
This trifecta suggests that we need to plan more carefully and prepare more aggressively for retirement, and that’s why finding an LGBT-friendly or LGBT retirement community is so important. We need a community that remains personally engaged and spiritually stimulated.
Do not draw attention to our financial network
People find it only slightly less difficult to disclose about their finances than they do about their sexual orientation or gender identity. This is why many of us look like we’re living fabulously, but we’re living fabulously broke.
That was us!
If we are not honest about our financial situation, we may not get the help we need or adequately help others.
Living in areas or places where they can no longer be outside
An all too common occurrence and fear for many of us is returning to the closet as we get older.
Most senior and assisted living communities are adequately trained or equipped to work with older LGBT people. With the Equality Act still stuck in Congress, many states don’t offer protections for LGBT seniors – that’s scary!
That’s why the list above and the facilities with SAGECare certification are so important. Use these resources to find a home and community where you can thrive as you grow older. It’s your right.
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