A new affordable housing development in Northside aims to provide support for LGBTQ older adults

Even with all of Greater Cincinnati’s Resources for LGBTQ people, advocates say gaps remain: WCPO, June 30, 2021

LGBTQ seniors

A new affordable housing development in Northside aims to provide support for LGBTQ older adults.

John Arthur Flats will have 57 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments for low-income senior citizens. The development is named for the late John Montgomery Arthur, a Cincinnati native who was the husband of Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the U.S. Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage in the United States.

Anyone can apply to live in the development as long as they are over the age of 55 and meet the project’s income qualifications, but there will be supports and resources specifically aimed at LGBTQ adults, said Sarah Thomas. She is executive director of Northsiders Engaged in Sustainable Transformation, or NEST, the community development organization developing the project with Philadelphia-based Pennrose.

“When you think about the LGBTQ community all over the country with the marriage equality decision, it feels like, especially in recent years, we’ve made all these strides,” Thomas said. “But I think it’s important to remind people how long things that like took and then how in many ways and different places the LGBTQ community still doesn’t feel like they have a safe haven or like things are being provided for them.”

Older LGBTQ adults face higher rates of poverty and housing discrimination, Timothy Henkel, a Pennrose senior vice president, said in a news release about the project.

“It’s a beautiful thing that we’ve made all these advancements,” Thomas said. “But I think in some ways there’s still a long way to go.”

The Council on Aging of Southwest Ohio will provide Meals on Wheels to residents of the flats, some legal assistance and transportation to doctor’s appointments. Caracole, Greater Cincinnati’s nonprofit AIDS service organization, will provide medical, social and quality-of-life services on site, Thomas said, and Churches Active in Northside, or CAIN, will help with hot meals to go, assistance with haircuts, pet care and tax preparation.

“We’re designing this space of safety and security,” Thomas said. “It’s really about, at its core, providing a service that people need, which is secure, affordable housing.”