{"id":3973,"date":"2015-03-29T07:00:12","date_gmt":"2015-03-29T12:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/?p=3973"},"modified":"2020-10-02T13:22:26","modified_gmt":"2020-10-02T18:22:26","slug":"lgbt-retirement-communities-in-chicago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2015\/03\/lgbt-retirement-communities-in-chicago\/","title":{"rendered":"LGBT Retirement Communities in Chicago"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>LGBT Retirement Communities in Chicago<a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/chicago-il\/assisted-living\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-3978\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2015\/02\/LGBT-Retirement-Communities-in-Chicago-350x350.png\" alt=\"LGBT Retirement Communities in Chicago\" width=\"350\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2015\/02\/LGBT-Retirement-Communities-in-Chicago-350x350.png 350w, https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2015\/02\/LGBT-Retirement-Communities-in-Chicago-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2015\/02\/LGBT-Retirement-Communities-in-Chicago-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2015\/02\/LGBT-Retirement-Communities-in-Chicago.png 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a><\/h1>\n<p>Chicago has a reputation as one of the most LGBT-friendly cities going, and the city specifically extends its welcome to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender seniors.\u00a0With extensive senior services and housing at the Midwest\u2019s biggest LGBT community center, state-recognized marriage equality, and the world\u2019s <span style=\"color: #9d7bae;\"><a style=\"color: #9d7bae;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcchicago.com\/entertainment\/the-scene\/chicago-boystown-outtraveler-238463471.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">best gay neighborhood<\/a><\/span>, the Windy City has an outstanding climate for LGBT seniors.<\/p>\n<h3>A leading regional LGBT center<\/h3>\n<p>The LGBT Center on Halsted hosts about a thousand visitors daily, seven days a week. The Center provides services such as legal advocacy and health screenings in a complex that includes a Whole Foods grocery store, rooftop garden, gym, performance space, and a computer lab. For seniors, the <span style=\"color: #9d7bae;\"><a style=\"color: #9d7bae;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.centeronhalsted.org\/senior.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Center and SAGE<\/a><\/span> (Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Elders) partner to provide:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>lunch four days a week;<\/li>\n<li>volunteer-advocate training courses;<\/li>\n<li>benefits counseling;<\/li>\n<li>support groups;<\/li>\n<li>meditation classes; and<\/li>\n<li>film screenings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Senior programming is offered at both the Center on Halsted and at the Center on Addison, one block south.<\/p>\n<h3>Innovative housing for LGBT seniors<\/h3>\n<p>In 2014, SAGE, the Center on Halsted, and the Heartland Alliance opened the Town Hall Apartments, one of the nation\u2019s few developments specifically for low-income LGBT seniors. While the 80-unit complex and its wait list are currently full, the Center also helps seniors across Chicagoland find in-home renters and helpers through its HomeShare program. There is also a friendly visitor program that provides weekly volunteer visits to seniors who live alone.<\/p>\n<p>When living at home is no longer the best choice, the Center on Halsted and Howard Brown Health Center have compiled a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.centeronhalsted.org\/Senior-Housing-Guide.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #9d7bae;\">Senior Long-Term Care and Supported Living Guide<\/span><\/a>. The guide focuses on LGBT-supportive centers that accept Medicaid and are within the city limits, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/local\/wesley-place-chicago-il\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #9d7bae;\">Wesley Place on Foster Avenue<\/span><\/a>, about 3 miles north of the Center on Halsted. Included are 15 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/chicago-il\/assisted-living\"><span style=\"color: #9d7bae;\">Chicago retirement communities<\/span><\/a>, with information about staff training, nondiscrimination policies, programs, and dedication to providing a welcoming environment.<\/p>\n<h3>Walkable, welcoming neighborhoods (and plenty of wedding venues)<\/h3>\n<p>The Center on Halsted is based in Boystown, an internationally recognized LGBT neighborhood that offers local boutique shopping, dining, dancing, theater, and art galleries in a walkable neighborhood just west of scenic Lakeshore Drive. Apart from daily activities and entertainment, Boystown plays host to an enormous Pride Festival each June, the two-day Market Days street fair in August, and a popular Halloween parade.<\/p>\n<p>A few miles north of Boystown is Andersonville, another popular LGBT neighborhood that stands out for its overwhelming selection of locally owned businesses; eateries serving Swedish, Persian, Italian, Middle Eastern, and American food; and live theater and improv shows. Andersonville\u2019s annual Midsommarfest street fair draws more than 50,000 visitors for shopping, food, and entertainment.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond Boystown and Andersonville, Chicago goes out of its way to welcome new LGBT residents and visitors. The city\u2019s visitors\u2019 bureau lists the most popular and fun <span style=\"color: #000000;\">wedding venues<\/span> for destination and local same-sex weddings. For seniors looking to ring in the golden years with wedding bells, and for LGBT elders looking for a supportive community, Chicago has a lot to offer.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Learn more about\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/chicago-il\/assisted-living\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chicago Senior Living<\/a>\u00a0here:<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/chicago-il\/assisted-living\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chicago Assisted Living<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/chicago-il\/nursing-home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chicago Nursing Homes<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/chicago-il\/memory-care\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chicago Alzheimer\u2019s Care<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/chicago-55-communities\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chicago 55+ Communities<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/chicago-il\/assisted-living\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chicago Low-Income Senior Housing<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/chicago-il\/assisted-living\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pet-Friendly Senior Living in Chicago<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/chicago-il\/assisted-living\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Best of Chicago Senior Living<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/assisted-living#VC77qS4AADAAOtY9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How Much Does Chicago Assisted Living Cost?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/2016\/06\/how-much-do-nursing-homes-cost\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How Much Do Chicago Nursing Homes Cost?<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Find <a href=\"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/chicago-il\/assisted-living\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">assisted living in Chicago<\/a> near you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LGBT Retirement Communities in Chicago Chicago has a reputation as one of the most LGBT-friendly cities going, and the city specifically extends its welcome to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender seniors.\u00a0With extensive senior services and housing at the Midwest\u2019s biggest LGBT community center, state-recognized marriage equality, and the world\u2019s best gay neighborhood, the Windy City has an outstanding climate for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2198,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[245],"tags":[246,13],"class_list":{"0":"post-3973","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-lgbt-friendly-senior-living","7":"tag-lgbt-friendly","8":"tag-senior-living-2"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.2 - 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