The first apartment complex in Rhode Island dedicated to affordable housing for LGBTQ+ elders and allies is planned to open in fall 2027, eldercare nonprofit Aldersbridge Communities announced in late January.
Construction on the Rumford neighborhood complex, called The Landing, is set to begin before June 21, with the hope of welcoming its first residents in September 2027, Aldersbridge Communities CEO Richard Gamache said. The Landing will have 39 individual rental units and the Valley Affordable Housing Corporation will be responsible for the development, he added.
The Landing “is being marketed particularly towards LGBTQ folks and their allies,” said Jodi Glass, a member of the Alderbridge Communities Board of Trustees. “We want this space to be a place where people who have come out already don’t have to come out again.”
Glass emphasized that The Landing will be LGBTQ+ friendly but not exclusively for LGBTQ+ residents, abiding by fair housing laws.
“We can’t say this is exclusively for LGBTQ+ because that’s discriminatory,” she said. But “we would assume that if somebody is homophobic or hateful in some way, that they would not want to live in this space,” she added.
The space will also strive to be “a space where people can meet” in collaboration with community organizations, accommodating artists and musicians, Glass said.
State House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi (D-Warwick) wrote in an email to The Herald that specialized housing, such as The Landing, provides important safe spaces.
“Many LGBTQ+ seniors have already experienced identity-based discrimination and harassment and fear being harassed or forced back into the closet in traditional, non-inclusive senior living facilities,” Shekarchi wrote.
The Landing has raised $17.5 million of the $18.5 million the project needs, Gamache said. One way Aldersbridge Communities is hoping to fill the remaining million-dollar gap is by selling personalized bricks that will be compiled into a design in The Landing’s community garden.
The development is designed for Rhode Islanders making 60% to 80% of the average median income, Gamache said. Rent for someone making under 60% of the median income for the area who is seeking a one-bedroom apartment could be as low as $1,202 per month. The maximum proposed rent for a two-bedroom apartment for someone making 80% of the area median income will be $1,923.
In a statement provided to The Herald, State Senate President Valarie Lawson (D-East Providence) wrote that “The Landing at East Point represents the very best of East Providence,” affirming the community’s support for its LGBTQ+ residents.
“Every Rhode Islander deserves a safe, stable and affordable place to live,” Lawson wrote.
Shekarchi pointed to nationwide shortages in affordable housing, which he said Rhode Island is no stranger to.
“We simply do not have enough homes to meet the needs of our population, and that is true across all demographics,” Shekarchi wrote. “In Rhode Island, we are working to increase the available housing stock at all levels.”
“We need partnerships like The Landing — a collaboration between nonprofit organizations that leveraged grants and federal funding, as well as municipal support — to create the housing our state needs,” Shekarchi added.
According to Gamache, enough people have already expressed interest in the community to fill the complex. He added that whether or not those who apply qualify will be determined by Rhode Island Housing.
Pavani Durbhakula is a senior staff writer and photographer. She is a first-year from DC and plans to study IAPA and Public Health. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading, and searching for new coffee shops.
