After years of delays and negotiations to see that it was affordable, the Bay Area Reporter's April 16, 2015 issue had good news for LGBTQ seniors: work was finally beginning on a below-market-rate apartment complex at 55 Laguna Street. The project, 40 residential units on the site of a former teachers' college, was overseen by Openhouse, a nonprofit that provides services to LGBTQ seniors, and Mercy Housing California. Over a year later, in November 2016, the first residents began moving in, as the B.A.R. reported. Due to anti-discrimination laws, the city could not restrict the lottery used to select residents to LGBTQ people, but it turned out that about 60% of the residents identified as LGBTQ. Construction of the second phase of the project, a new building at 95 Laguna Street with 79 units, started in 2017 and was completed in 2019 for the LGBTQ-welcoming senior housing. Next up for Openhouse is a new LGBTQ-welcoming senior affordable housing project with Mercy Housing at 1939 Market Street. That property, near Laguna Street, is expected to see 130 units constructed.
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