What is the North Texas LGBT-Friendly Senior Housing Guide?

The North Texas LGBT-Friendly Senior Housing Guide is the result of years of relationship-building, support, and hard work between our CfA LGBT volunteers and the dedicated staff of various Senior Retirement Communities in the four-county area of North Texas (Dallas, Denton, Tarrant, and Collin counties). Each of these communities has attained a passing score on our LGBT-Friendly Senior Housing Metric. The Metric covers areas such as LGBT-friendly policy updates, LGBT cultural competencies, procedure changes, staff training, programming, outreach, and marketing enhancements. The goal of this standard is to increase the visibility of the LGBT community and to form explicitly LGBT-affirming practices and LGBT cultural competencies in each community.

How Should I Read This Guide?

This guide is presented with at least two audiences in mind... 

1. LGBT seniors, their family, loved ones, ​and fellow activists who are searching for LGBT-friendly senior housing options.

For those searching for LGBT-affirming senior housing options, we’ve ​​presented profiles of ​each ​community that has passed our LGBT-Friendly Senior Housing Metric.

2. Retirement communities, retirement community professionals, and other industry representatives in North Texas who are interested in learning how to improve their practices in LGBT culturally competent care.

For members of the senior care industry, and for those working in and for retirement communities especially, this guide is meant as a practical tool for improving your care for LGBT clients and residents, and to provide an invitation to join our initiative as soon as you are ready. 

Here are a few indicators of the discrimination faced by LGBT individuals:

There are currently 300,000 LGBT individuals aged 40-85+ in North Texas; a number which is expected to grow to over 500,000 by 2030. In a survey conducted by the Coalition for Aging LGBT (CfA LGBT), the need for transitional/senior living facilities that are respectful of LGBT people was identified overwhelmingly as the most pressing need for aging LGBT people. (1)
SOURCE:  
​1. 2014, Opening Doors: An Investigation of Barriers to Senior Housing for Same-Sex Couples. 
2. LGBT Movement Advancement Project (MAP), and Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Elders (SAGE). Improving the Lives of LGBT Older Adults. 2010, Improving the Lives of LGBT Older Adults.
  • In a study by the Equal Rights Center, 1/2 of older same-sex couples experience discrimination while applying for housing.
  • In a study by SAGE, only 22% of respondents felt they could be open about their LGBT identities with faculty and staff. (2)
  • 43% of LGBT seniors reported instances of mistreatment in their facilities. (2)
  • 89% predicted that staff would discriminate based on their sexual orientations and/or gender identities. (2)

Housing search by County

For information on LGBT-Friendly housing by County, click in the button for the corresponding County.
Click the button or the image to see all communities in Denton County, TX.
Click the button or the image to see all communities in Collin County, TX.
Click the button or the image to see all communities in Dallas County, TX.
Click the button or the image to see all communities in Tarrant County, TX.