LGBTQ-friendly senior housing plan for Oakland to receive state tax credits

Presbyterian SeniorCare Network will receive more than $4 million in state tax credits to build an LGBTQfriendly senior housing community in Oakland.

Gov. Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency announced funding awards this month for the construction of nearly 1,500 affordable rental units across Pennsylvania.

Presbyterian SeniorCare Network is working with members of the LGBTQ community, Affirmative Investments, Persad Center and others to develop a 52unit, LGBTQ-friendly senior housing community.

There is a strong need and demand for this kind of affordable senior housing option, and it will be the first of its kind in Western Pennsylvania, Jim Pieffer, the network’s president and CEO said in a news release.

“We are very grateful that the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency saw merit in our project and is providing this funding,” Mr. Pieffer said. “We still have work to do to reach our funding goal, but this is the major component of the funding that we need.”

Mr. Pieffer said in the release that he anticipates that the total development cost will range between $26-$27 million. The $4 million in credits should result in $14 million in investment for the project, he said. The project has secured zoning and planning approvals from the city of Pittsburgh. If all goes according to plan, construction should begin in summer 2023 and take about 14 months to complete. The new community could open in fall 2024, Mr. Pieffer said.

The network has partnered with Affirmative Investments, a national developer of affordable housing, for this project.

It has also partnered with Persad Center, a Pittsburgh counseling, training and prevention services center serving the LGBTQ communities and people living with HIV.