Proposed affordable housing development to cater to LGBTQ+ seniors in South Oakland

An affordable housing development proposed in Pittsburgh’s South Oakland would cater to LGBTQ+ seniors.

The proposed six-story apartment complex on Forbes Avenue would include 48 units, 24 off-street parking spaces and 22 bicycle parking spots, according to plans presented Tuesday to the city’s planning commission.

All of the units would be designated as affordable housing for senior citizens, said Daniel Rothschild, senior principal at Pittsburgh-based Rothschild Doyno Collaborative. The would-be housing costs were not provided.

“This is an LGBTQ-friendly housing project,” Rothschild said. “This type of housing is very much needed in our country. There is severe discrimination for this cohort nationwide.”

According to information presented to the planning commission, Sage Advocacy & Services for LGBTQ+ Elders estimated there will be about 7 million seniors who belong to the LGBTQ+ community in the United States by 2030.

About 48% of older same-sex couples have experienced housing discrimination, and 34% of LGBTQ+ older people worry about having to hide their sexual identity to access senior housing, according to statistics presented to the commission.

To represent the LGBTQ+ residents who would be living in the proposed apartment building, the site is set to use “a diversity of color that will change and transform as you move past this building,” Rothschild said, showing renderings that include a variety of greens and blues.

“As gender and sexuality is fluid, driving past this building is also going to be fluid,” he said.

Plans call for a seven-foot-wide sidewalk, wheelchair accessibility, an outdoor courtyard and two elevators that will have backup power so they can continue operating during power outages, according to a presentation given to the commission.

Rothschild said the development team also is planning to work with one or more LGBTQ+ artists to install a sculpture outside.

The development is being launched in partnership with Presbyterian Senior Care and Affirmative Investments, according to information presented to the commission.

“It is an honor to be part of such a meaningful project in our region,” Rothschild said. “This prominent site will send a welcoming signal that Oakland is an open, inclusive and diverse community.”

The planning commission is expected to vote on the proposed development at its next meeting in two weeks.