The White House itself rang congratulatory bells last month when the Philadelphia Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) committed to helping fund a new public-private housing initiative in Philadelphia targeted to LGBT elders.
The project, which is to be built on Philadelphia’s 13th Street, between Locust and Spruce, is expected to have 6 stories and 56 bedrooms. It will be available to those who are aged 62 and older who earn less than 60% of the Philadelphia median income. $11 million of the necessary $19 million price tag has now been secured.
The White House memo on the financing, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/04/16/public-private-partnerships-ingenuity-and-11m-tax-credit-provides-innovative-housing, notes that “Under this Administration, [the Housing and Urban Development Department] has been a leader in advancing equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, and has treated the fight for equality not as an issue, but as a priority.” The memo ends with this memorable line: “And HUD will continute to take an active role in ensuring that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community not only has a seat at the table — but also a place to call home.”
Progress is being made on a new 40-unit building to augment the very successful affordable senior housing development run by the Gay and Lesbian Elder Housing Los Angeles (GLEH).
