A Beacon of Hope for Maine's LGBTQ+ Community

In June 2023, the Equality Community Center in Portland, Maine announced plans to develop the state's first affordable housing complex specifically designed for LGBTQ+ older adults and their allies. The proposed building would feature 55 units targeted at residents aged 55 and older, with a low-income housing tax credit structure to keep rents affordable. The project addressed a documented gap in housing security for aging LGBTQ+ individuals, who disproportionately lack the family support networks many older adults depend on.

The ECC, already home to over a dozen LGBTQ+ and allied nonprofits in a 22,000-square-foot collaborative space in downtown Portland, was raising $4 million through a capital campaign to support the project. The development was seen as a model for LGBTQ+-affirming senior housing in New England, with similar projects underway only in Boston at the time.