On March 23, Mercy Housing California and Openhouse celebrated the Grand Opening of The Openhouse Community at 55 Laguna—San Francisco’s first affordable housing community welcoming to LGBT seniors. The 40 apartments augmented by onsite services provided by Openhouse rehabilitates a historic city landmark into a thriving and inclusive home welcoming to LGBT seniors and formerly homeless seniors living with HIV/AIDS.

For San Francisco’s 25,000 LGBT seniors, many without children or alienated from family, the housing crisis is intensified by a fear of discrimination or compromised care, lost support system, or health complications from HIV/AIDS. LGBT seniors are also less likely to seek or receive the support they need. The Openhouse Community at 55 Laguna provides seniors safe homes with onsite services to help them age in place and reengage them with the city they proudly helped build.

On the former UC Berkeley Extension Campus and the site of the first San Francisco State University campus, 55 Laguna is part of a four-block redevelopment to include 280 market rate apartments, 50 below market rate apartments, and 110 affordable senior homes.

Recently featured in the San Francisco Chronicle for it’s beautiful design, 55 Laguna’s repurposed wide corridors, large windows, and uncovered mural treasures honor the history of the building while offering a beautiful space for its residents to call home.