SAGE, the nation’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT elders, has relaunched its National LGBT Elder Housing Initiative website and just published, “Understanding the Affordable Housing Development Process: A Primer for LGBT Aging Providers.”

Thanks to founding support from Citi Community Development and the Calamus Foundation, SAGE has made substantial strides toward realizing the goals of its National LGBT Elder Housing Initiative. These include building LGBT-friendly housing, providing LGBT cultural competency trainings, equipping LGBT older people and LGBT-friendly builders with information around innovative housing interventions, and advocating at the state and local levels to end housing discrimination against LGBT older people.

Citi will be honored for its commitment to affordable LGBT elder housing at the 22nd Annual SAGE Awards & Gala on October 16, 2017, at New York City’s Cipriani Wall Street.

The new website features an interactive national housing map so users can learn where services are available in their states. The site not only offers vital information to consumers seeking housing, but it also guides providers who want to deliver the best housing and services for LGBT older adults. The entire housing primer is available on the SAGE website. Highlights include:

• Seven elder housing success stories in varying stages of development in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York City, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
• A step-by-step guide of the five phases of development, including predevelopment concept, feasibility analysis, financing, construction, and lease-up and operation
• A thorough explanation of how low-income tax credits work

“With the number of older LGBT adults rising from 3 million to more than 7 million by 2030, our commitment toward providing welcoming LGBT elder housing only grows stronger,“ says Kelly Kent, Director of SAGE’s National LGBT Elder Housing Initiative. “We can’t merely build our way out of the crisis. In order to increase housing capacity, we must mobilize the support of community, government, and business leaders. Our new website and housing primer will help SAGE accomplish this for our community.”

The National LGBT Elder Housing Initiative is also supported by the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation.

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SAGE is the country’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is a national organization that advocates for public policy changes that address the needs of LGBT older people. SAGE also offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBT older adults and their caregivers, provides education and technical assistance for aging providers and LGBT organizations through its National Resource Center on LGBT Aging, and cultural competence training through SAGECare. With staff located across the country, SAGE coordinates a growing network of affiliates across the country. Learn more at sageusa.org.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Diverse Elders Coalition.