LGBTQ senior housing development in Hyde Park receives $1m donation

The former school building will offer studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units.

The Mayor’s Office for Housing will oversee the lottery, which is expected to be open for six weeks beginning in January 2024. The Pryde

By Caroline Bunnell

December 7, 2023

LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc. recently received a $1 million donation from The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation building toward the completion of The Pryde, an affordable senior-living community in Hyde Park.

The development will now be able to complete construction on the LGBTQ-affirming housing development after being stripped of their funding in July 2023.

Construction of the former school began in 2022 and is expected to be completed in March 2024, according to a press release from LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc. The ribbon cutting is tentatively scheduled for June 2024 as part of Pride Month.

“We’re grateful for this important gift, which is vital to completing our beautiful new home here in Hyde Park and delivering on our mission of providing welcoming and affordable senior housing. As the first LGBTQ-affiriming and welcoming affordable senior housing in Massachusetts, our mission is more urgent than ever, especially in the current political climate,” said Gretchen Van Ness, executive director.

After the donation, $3.5 million has been raised going toward construction and programming for residents.

The Pryde will have 74 units — studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom homes. Rental prices will be announced soon and will be based on Boston’s median income, Van Ness said.

Construction on individual units has begun, with the completion of finishes and trim in two of the wings. Plumbing and electric are going in the third wing. The windows have all been replaced in the building, Van Ness said.

Each unit was once a classroom and will be free of any barriers to enhance accessibility. The ovens will be in the wall, making it easier to open. The door handles and cabinets will be levered to accommodate people with arthritis.

Residents will be LGBTQ seniors over the age of 62. To live in the development, prospective renters can enter a lottery system. The Mayor’s Office for Housing will oversee the lottery, which is expected to be open for six weeks beginning in January 2024.

The complex will offer a variety of amenities, including a 10,000-square-foot community space, classrooms, a library, and an art exhibition.

The Pryde will also be Boston’s only LGBTQ community center for all ages. This includes space for a community-wide meals program. There will also be an office for the 54th Regiment, which is an organization preserving the history of African American soldiers during the Civil War.