Housing concerns impact many older adults, but for LGBTQ+ older adults there are added challenges that have built up over a lifetime, making their path to safe and affordable housing particularly difficult. One possible solution is the development of LGBTQ+ Elder Affirming Housing, a form of housing intervention that is fully inclusive to anyone meeting the housing community's criteria, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, but which are designed specifically to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ older people. How does this type of housing intervention serve the LGBTQ+ community and what are the challenges facing LGBTQ+ elders that make this type of housing necessary? How have LGBTQ+ Elder Affirming Housing developments served their communities in other states? This forum will provide background on the housing challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado and around the country, the importance of LGBTQ+ affirming housing, and perspectives on the steps needed to develop affirming housing.

Participants:

* Sydney Kopps-Richardson (She/Her) – Director, National LGBTQ+ Elder Housing Initiative, SAGE (skopprichardson@sageusa.org)

* Michael Chifalo (He/Him) – LGBTQ+ Program Specialist, Boulder County Area Agency on Aging (mchifalo@bouldercounty.gov)

* Shannon Cox Baker (She/Her) – Regional Vice President, Mountain Region, Pennrose (sbaker@pennrose.com)

* Donald M. Bell (He/Him/His) (Age, 74) – Commissioner and Chairperson, Illinois Commission on LGBTQ+ Aging; Board of Directors, One Roof Chicago; Resident, Town Hall Apartments

* 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM: Panel Discussion
* 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM: Q&A

This is a free event.