Stonewall Housing have announced a pioneering study into the need for specialist housing for the older LGBT community.
The housing advice and support provider has been awarded funding from the Big Lottery Fund and Commonweal Housing to carry out their study, which will establish the demand for dedicated LGBT housing.
CEO of Stonewall Housing, Bob Green, said: “The feasibility study is a great opportunity to really investigate the housing needs and requirements of the older LGBT community.
“At present there are no older LGBT housing schemes in the UK and we will be looking to Europe and the USA for examples of how such schemes can provide live in safe and supportive housing.”
In 2015, the National LGB&T Partnership survey found that 33% of respondents felt unsafe in residential settings and only 13% were satisfied with their care.
Bob continued: “We have worked with older LGBT people around the UK in recent years to ensure their voice is heard, and that housing providers recognise their needs – this study will take us one step closer to ensuring that the wishes of the LGBT community become a reality.”
The Stonewall Housing Feasibility Study will be released in April 2016.
Last year it was announced that Britain would see its first LGBT retirement home within the next three years, either in London or Brighton.
The organisation behind the project said: “If you don’t have your own children, and if you have fractured family relationships, which is a possibility, then you would not have the support networks that many older people count on.”