A 6-story 56-unit housing facility for
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender seniors opened earlier this
month in Philadelphia.
The $19 million housing facility was
co-developed by the Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld Fund and Pennrose
Properties. Tenants must be 62 or older and their yearly income cannot
exceed $33,000. Monthly rents range from $192 to $768 based on
income.
The L-shaped building, named the John
C. Anderson Apartments after a city councilman who backed gay rights,
features a lobby overlooking a 6,000-square-foot courtyard and
includes retail space on the ground floor. The facility is located
on 13th Street between Locust and Spruce in Philadelphia's
predominantly gay neighbor.
“Why should people, who were the
pioneers of the community, not live with dignity? It's outrageous,”
Mark Segal, chairman of the Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld Fund, told
the AP. “We have to take care of our own – nobody else is.”
The facility joins similar projects in
Los Angeles and Minnesota. Chicago and San Francisco are developing
similar complexes.
(Related: NYC
opens center for gay and lesbian seniors.)