First in nation affordable communal living space for LGBTQ+ seniors opens in DC
There’s no place like home, and some LGBTQ+ seniors in D.C. will have a just-opened, first of it’s kind inclusive living facility to call home.
Thursday was the ribbon-cutting for Mary’s House for Older Adults, a newly built three story building in the Fort Dupont neighborhood of Southeast D.C.
The building boasts 15 affordable apartment-style units designed specifically to help support members of the LGBTQ+ community with housing, health and wellness programs.
“You are providing housing, you are providing a solution for the epidemic of loneliness, you are providing a vehicle for Washingtonians to stay in Washington,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “It’s not enough to just live longer, we want to thrive, we want to be active participants in our community.”
Developer Gina Merritt told WTOP there is a need among the LGBTQ+ community for this type of affordable communal living space.
“In society, when they get older, a lot of them don’t have children to take care of them, like some of us do,” said Merritt. “So, this gives them an opportunity to have someone to connect with and share their life and future.”
Leased units cost between $800 and $850, Merritt said, and there’s a waiting list for future residents.
The plot of land the housing sits on was originally the site of Dr. Imani Woody, who worked more than a decade to make Mary’s House a reality. The project is named after Woody’s mother.
Merritt said the design of the building is both functional and community supporting for LGBTQ+ adults who are 60 years or older.
“They have the ability to share the kitchen — a humongous kitchen — and then two long tables for people to sit, and eat, and fellowship together,” Merritt said.
After facing some initial opposition from neighbors, Merritt said Mary’s House expects to build a positive relationship with others nearby.
As the District attempts to bring more grocery stores into all sections of the city, Merritt said her company has faced similar challenges in other projects.
“We actually have food distribution, we will help create communal meals, we’ll have a chef come in and teach folks how to eat healthfully, so yes, we’re going to solve those challenges through our own programming,” she said.