WMG Volume 6 • Issue 23 December 18, 2019
Wilton Manors Gazette Facebook.com/groups/WMGazette
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LGBT Friendly Housing Complex Breaks Ground
Construction underway and moving fast By Denise Royal
The Residences at Equality Park is the 55 and older with a disabling condition first of its kind in Florida — an affordable who need on-site supportive services in housing project with supportive services order to maintain their housing. Fortythree units will be available to residents for LGBT seniors. The 48-unit development is slated earning 60% or less of Broward County’s for completion in 2020. The project Area Median Income (AMI) – which would has broken ground and construction is equate to a maximum annual income of about $35,400 per year for underway. a one-person household, Carrfour Supportive "Our work and about $40,400 per Housing, Florida’s largest year for a two-person nonprofit affordable will decrease household. housing developer is isolation, The remaining five units teaming up with The Pride promote aging will be available to those Center at Equality Park for in place and earning 33% or less of the the new development. The increase the AMI – which would equate Residences at Equality Park to a maximum annual are located at 2040 North overall quality Dixie Highway adjacent to of life for LGBTQ+ income of about $17,700 per year for a one-person the Pride Center. older adults in household, and about The Residences at South Florida." $20,200 per year for a twoEquality Park will provide person household. permanent affordable - Robert Boo Monthly rents will be housing and on-site CEO of The Pride Center based on income, ranging supportive services for from approximately $350 low-income senior adults living with disabling conditions – such to $1,029. Construction is expected to be as physical illnesses or disabilities due to complete in 2020. “There’s not a week that goes by when complications from diseases including HIV/AIDS – with a special focus on I don’t receive multiple phone calls from community members wanting to know members of the LGBT community. The units range in size from studios to when they can get on a wait list,” said two-bedroom apartments – 34 of which Robert Boo, CEO of The Pride Center, will be set aside as permanent supportive in a press release. “The Pride Center housing for low-income seniors ages started this journey seven years ago. The
Progress at the construction site in front of The Pride Center. Photo via The Pride Center, Facebook.
Residences at Equality Park is the culmination of a multi-year process of community assessment and strategic planning in which we’re responding to direct, communityrequested, prioritized need. We have the opportunity to help meet this great need. Our work will decrease isolation, promote aging in place and increase the overall quality of life for LGBTQ+ older adults in South Florida. We have many reasons to celebrate.” Nearly half of LGBT seniors in the U.S. live with a disabling condition, according to the Institute for Multigenerational Health. This is the reality The Pride Center faces every Tuesday morning when 200 seniors gather in their main hall for coffee and conversation. According to both SAGE USA and The Equal Rights Center, older LGBT adults in particular face a variety of unique challenges in securing
housing with higher rates of discrimination and bias and sometimes even hostile treatment from landlords as well as fellow tenants. Last year, more than 35,000 adult and youth attended activities at The Pride Center. The Center hosts more than 65 groups that meet regularly each month. Support, social and educational groups, programs and events focus on HIV, seniors, people with transgender experience, communities of color, recovery, women, young adults, men, health, the arts, athletics, spirituality, games and more. Outreach activities over the past year directly impacted over 250,000 residents and visitors to South Florida. Between one and two thousand people utilize the Equality Park campus daily. WMG
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