Not Just Housing, Home Our Vision • Giving LGBTQ seniors with limited means and without family, a safe, secure, and happy “golden years”. • Creating a community - based living for LGBTQ seniors who prefer living among friends rather than alone. • With the support of investors, securing a federal low - income housing fund by presenting a fully - realized concrete example of our vision. • A nation where all LGBTQ seniors can live with dignity and security in communities of supportive friends. In the United States, in Louisiana, and in New Orleans, poor, single LGBTQ seniors without family support lack a ff ordable housing. The Problem On average, Louisiana retirees receive $1,144 a month from Social Security. With other living costs, they’re only left with 30% of their earnings for a ff ordable housing. Social Security: 2014 Louisiana Quick Facts In 2019, the statewide average monthly cost of assisted living is $3,550. Louisiana Assisted Living & Home Care ( www.payingforseniorcare.com ) Many LGBTQ elders face a nightmare of housing uncertainty, financial di ff iculties, isolation, and poor physical and psychological health outcomes. Their “golden years” lack the dignity and security we all hope for as we age. Nationally, an estimated 1.5 million LGBTQ people who are 65 or older live in the United States — and that total will double by 2030, according to SAGE, an organization dedicated to LGBTQ senior issues. And this number is expected to rise. Only one - third of older adults living alone are financially comfortable. Shortage of 7 MILLION A ff ordable rental homes for Americans with incomes below the poverty line or 30% of the local median income. * 13% of Louisianans age 65+ live in poverty, the second highest rate in the nation *NLIHC. Dec. 30, 2019 Over 4.6 MILLION Older adults (9.3%) were below poverty level in 2016. A higher percentage of older persons living alone were poor (17.3%) as compared with older persons living with families (5.3%). LGBTQ individuals are less likely to have a social network than heterosexuals (Pew Research, 2013) and far less likely to have support from children or original families. Isolation and fear of loneliness are major concerns of LGBTQ older individuals. For example, nearly 60% surveyed LGBT older adults reported feeling a lack of companionship, and over 50% reported feeling isolated from others. ( FredriksenGoldsen et al., 2011) Social isolation is also a concern because LGBTQ older adults are more likely to live alone, more likely to be single and less likely to have children than their heterosexual counterparts. (APA) 1 DID YOU KNOW ? Most older adults do not require caregiving. In 2017, the percentage of older adults age 85 and over needing help with personal care was 22%, for adults ages 75 – 84 9% and for adults ages 65 – 74 3%. LGBT older adults may disproportionately be a ff ected by physical and mental health conditions due to a lifetime of unique stressors associated with being a minority. Social support has been associated with better health outcomes, as a safeguard to stigma and effects of discrimination, better general health and higher quality of life and decreased depression and internalized stigma Compared to heterosexual older adults with similar demographic characteristics, sexual and gender minority older adults have worse mental and physical health LGBTQ older adults have higher risks of mental health issues, disability, and higher rates of disease and physical limitations than heterosexual older adults A larger number of people in one’s social network is associated with better health With Your Support Invest in a safe, secure, self - sustaining senior living for low - income LGBTQ seniors in New Orleans. Our model requires only a one - time capital investment, not on - going charitable support, and is designed to be operationally financially self - sustaining for 20+ years. Your support ensures low - income LGBTQ seniors in New Orleans will live out their golden years among friends in a safe, comfortable home. A Home Among Friends ™ exists to create housing communities for senior LGBTQ populations. Facilitate access to a ff ordable community housing for low - income senior Americans, with a focus on the LGBTQ community. WHO WE ARE OUR MISSION We believe many LGBTQ elders, with a lifetime of experience making families of their own choosing, would welcome life in mutually supportive communities . Places where people look out for one another. We want to leverage this to re - purpose current housing stock to make a ff ordable housing rather than build new buildings, thereby strengthening communities and neighborhoods while also accommodating seniors. At the same time address the poverty, social isolation, and diminished quality of life (physical and psychological) experienced by many LGBTQ seniors. Our Solution • With a focus on the LGBTQ community, our seniors are especially vulnerable because of the commonly lacking traditional families who might assist them. • We are setting out to repurpose current housing stock to make affordable housing rather than new buildings. • This also strengthens communities and neighborhoods while accommodating seniors. Create an economic model that relies primarily on renters; payments of no more than 30% of their monthly income. Develop units that fit unobtrusively into neighborhoods, so that our presence adds value to the surrounding area. Locate in safe areas where amenities like health care, shopping and accessible public transportation access are nearby. Promote community through well - planned accessible housing design and community use common spaces. With funding we will create and operate communities purchasing housing stock and redesigning it to accommodate multiple residents in small, private apartments with access to common indoor and outdoor space. Benefits of this operation include: Expected Costs Expected Costs *Not pictured: Taxes (exempt 501(c)(3) ($0) Additional Costs: Inferred rental for one - bedroom (500 sqft ) unit for breakeven: $300 Inferred rental for two - room (1000 sqft ) unit for breakeven: $600 Our Proposition • We create mutually supportive communities leveraging current housing stock and its mismatch to housing demands. • We recognize and respond to the opportunities for both market and non - market solutions. • Our goal is to Provide residential and landscape design resources on a fee - paid basis to facilitate homeowners converting their existing homes into multi - tenant homes with separate and shared amenities. Revenue realized will support our principle, non - profit purpose. A Home Among Friends exists to create housing communities for senior LGBTQ populations by: Buying and renovating existing housing stock and assisting homeowners in planning modifications to their homes to accommodate additional roommates. Our Friendly Communities Initiative identifies, purchases, and renovates existing housing located within naturally occurring retirement communities with walkable access to amenities, including healthcare, grocers, pharmacies, and restaurants. Our focus is on small - scale (4 - 12 units) projects that fit into existing neighborhoods. Our Friendly Home Initiative provides residential planning design guidance o ff ered on a fee for service (sliding scale) basis to homeowners who want to re - design their owned home to accommodate renters in private apartments with access to common living spaces. We are recruiting participants for both programs who explicitly seek community living. Both initiatives develop rentable units that strive to consume no more than 30% of the renters’ monthly income. • Any income generated by our Friendly Homes Initiative will be retained to increase housing maintenance reserves. • Once we have an operational community and can demonstrate its e ff ectiveness we will solicit support for the federal government’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit program as well as Historical Housing Tax Credit to launch additional communities. • We will also, at that time, be able to access Section 8 Housing Vouchers to further o ff - set operating costs. 3128 Annunciation Street New Orleans LA 70115 CONTACT US Mailing address Website www.ahomeamongfriends.org