By CAROLINE SAVOIE
Dallas Voice Contributing Writer
CaroSavoWrites@gmail.com
Cece Cox, CEO of Resource Center, an organization that provides LGBTQ+ health care and advocacy in Dallas, said Oak Lawn Place, a $23 million 84-unit LGBTQ+ affirming senior housing community, is scheduled to open on July 1, 2024. In November, the list of seniors interested in the building was 40 people long. Cox said applications should open March 1, 2024.
Cox, 61, said that property management will be focused on the interests and needs of LGBTQ+ seniors. Following in the footsteps of projects like the John C. Anderson apartments in Philadelphia, Cox said the building will feature LGBTQ+ art and photography. Cox said she traveled to LGBTQ+-focused developments across the country to learn “what not to do.”
“Being intentional with the visuals around the development is a part of it,” Fisher said of the Philadelphia project. “I think it’s healthy for people to see their identities reflected back to them.”
According to Resource Center, the building, located one block from In- wood Road and Denton Dr. Cut Off, will have lots of natural light, step- in showers and wheel-chair-wide doors, single-and double-occupancy rooms, a gym, a private party room, a dog park, on-site classes and gatherings and Resource Center staff dedicated to making residents feel welcome and comfortable.
According to the Child Poverty Action Lab’s spring 2023 housing report, the city of Dallas has a 33,660 rental unit supply gap for its lowest-income residents. Cox said LGBTQ+ seniors often fall into that category, partially because of the delay in marriage equality.
“Affordable is a key factor for queer people,” Cox said. “It was only eight years ago that our marriages were recognized, so we weren’t able to accumulate assets in the way straight people would.”
As an example, she noted that partners couldn’t collect their late spouses’ Social Security income until same-sex marriage was legalized in 2015. Cox also said fewer LGBTQ+ seniors have children who can care for them as they age.
“Our chosen families are so strong, but in many cases, our friends are close in age to us, and they’re aging with us,” she said.
Dallas City Councilman Chad West said the city’s aim as part of the $1 billion bond package is to use about $100 million to help bring in new affordable housing developments.
Simultaneously, the city is considering a proposal to decrease lot sizes and change zoning regulations. About 85 percent of the city’s land is zoned for 5,000-square-foot, single-family homes.
One example for solutions is Oak Lawn Place, Cox said, where rental units fall under affordable housing distinctions, and market rate apartments don’t apply.
She said the market rate for apartments in Dallas is around $1,400 on average, and Oak Lawn Place rents range between $562 for a single to $1200 for a two-bedroom apartment.
“I’m just elated to bring this to the community and honor our seniors who made so many things possible for the rest of us,” Cox said. “If we can help close the affordable housing gap by doing that, it’s even better.”
Councilman West said another avenue for LGBTQ+ elders needing affordable housing is getting assistance from HOPWA ( Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS.) This federal program helps eligible persons living with HIV get affordable and stable housing, while improving their access to health care and supportive services.
Despite Dallas experiencing one of the largest affordable housing gaps in the state, there are improvements, Emery said.
Every time he returns to a senior living facility to recertify their LGBTQ+ affirmation, conditions for employees and its residents have improved.
“I started these efforts a decade ago,” Emery said. “Whether we’re changing the culture or the culture is changing us, conditions for our LGBT elders are improving day by day.”
Courtesy of the Dallas Media Collaborative, a collaborative reporting project focused on solutions to the affordable housing crisis in Dallas. Dallas Documents is part of the Dallas Media Collaborative, launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with funding from the Knight Foundation. Find out more at dallasmediacollab.com.
