Housing project for aging LGBT community finally a go
Mark Segal had been biting his nails, waiting for the call. Thursday morning, he was drinking a mug of sweet vanilla coffee in his den above the offices of the Philadelphia Gay News, when the phone finally rang.
His dream project, an affordable housing complex welcoming to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender seniors, had won a competitive bid for an $11 million state tax credit.
“I’ve been trying not to cry,” Segal said Sunday, barely succeeding in holding back the kvell.
For more than three years, the 61-year-old founder and publisher of PGN has been planning, lobbying, negotiating, collaborating and cajoling every social service agency, activist group and political leader he knows to make Philadelphia one of the first cities in the nation to meet the needs of the aging LGBT community.
Monday afternoon, Segal said proudly, he will appear with Michael Nutter and many of the others who have supported the project, to share the good news about the tax credit, which makes it possible to now announce the project’s official launch.
Later in the week, he said, he’s been invited to talk about it in Washington at a White House conference on housing.
“In their golden years, LGBT seniors need a safe and loving place to grow old,” Segal said. “This is going to change the lives of so many people.” Read More
