Stonewall House brings affordable housing to some of New York’s most vulnerable populations, including LGBTQ elders and other seniors who often struggle to pay the rising costs of rent and are at risk of homelessness.
The 146-unit development is the state’s first LGBTQ-friendly affordable senior community and the largest in the country, according to developer Don Capoccia, principal of BFC Partners.
Built on a vacant New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) property in Brooklyn, Stonewall House features a 7,000-square-foot community center on the ground floor operated by the project’s nonprofit sponsor, SAGE, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT elders.
Stonewall House residents, as well as seniors living at the neighboring NYCHA Ingersoll Houses and from the larger community, can access the services provided SAGE.
While New York’s housing affordability crisis impacts households of all backgrounds, older LGBT people are more likely to face housing discrimination, says Michael Adams, CEO of SAGE. They are also less likely to have children or other family members to help provide for their needs as they age.
That’s why Stonewall House has been an aspiration for many years.
“The building is beautiful, and BFC went the extra mile in every way in terms of ensuring that this would be a building that would be a source of pride for the people who live in it, a source of pride for the LGBT community, and a source of pride for all of us,” Adams says.
The property is covered by a project-based Section 8 contract, so residents pay no more than 30% of their income toward rent.
The $78.2 million development is financed with low-income housing tax credits and support from several New York agencies.
