Jack McCroskey marveled at the affordable senior housing center that became his new home. At a Tuesday event marking the opening of Oak Lawn Place, the 75-year-old retired nurse said he was “amazed” at the work put into making the apartment community a space inclusive of LGBTQ seniors.
“It’s beautiful,” McCroskey said. “I thought it would feel like a nursing home, but it’s really a retirement community.”
For McCroskey, the move was motivated by the cost of living and a desire for a sense of community since most of his friends have passed.
“A lot of my friends are gone,” he said. “But now I have a new community here.”
Oak Lawn Place, an income-restricted, 84-unit living center, opened its doors this week, providing an affirming sanctuary for seniors seeking affordable housing and support for the LGBTQ community.
Cece Cox, CEO of Resource Center, said at the event that the Dallas community needs LGBTQ-affirming senior housing, emphasizing the lengths to which community leaders have gone to make the vision a reality.
“We know that ... housing among seniors is a very high need,” Cox said. “This development is necessary for those in the LGBTQ community who have faced so many obstacles in their lives.”
To qualify for residency, individuals must be at least 55 years old, with a household annual income not exceeding $37,000, and a criminal background check is also required.
In 1983, William H. “Bill” Nelson Jr., along with his partner Terry Tebedo and friends William Waybourn and Craig Spaulding, launched at the intersection of Cedar Springs and Throckmorton the Crossroads Market, which offered magazines, books, antiques and jewelry.
The group collected canned goods for AIDS patients and, over the years, their establishment transformed into the original AIDS Resource Center, known today as Resource Center.
Resource Center operates as one of the largest LGBTQ community centers in the country. The organization collaborated with public and private partners to secure $31 million in funding for the initiative.
Public partners include Community Project Funding, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Dallas County’s American Rescue Plan Act funding and the City of Dallas’ Office of Economic Development.
Private partners include the National Equity Fund, Federal Home Loan Bank Dallas, Amegy Bank, Comerica Bank, Charles Schwab Corp., Veritex Bank, The Real Estate Council, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Wells Fargo and Donors to Rescue Center.
Since mid-July, the facility has made available 79 one-bedroom units and five two-bedroom units.
Each floor of the center is painted with different shades of blue, yellow and white. Amenities include a fitness center, community spaces, a private party room and a dog park.
Stephen Rouse, 65, echoed McCroskey’s sentiments and reflected on feeling unwelcomed by the world.
“For years, building friendships became impossible due to the fear of judgment,” he said, his voice tinged with nostalgia and relief. “To come here and kiss my friend in the lobby without worry, it’s a transformative feeling to live this long, and to have a place that is finally affirming what I like.”
The freedom to express affection in a safe space without fear is a profound revelation for him, Rouse said, adding that it fills him with an invigorating sense of freedom that he had longed for.
“I had the sense that I was walking in a dark alley,” Rouse said. “But it wasn’t a dark alley.”
Another resident, Quincy Winn, 47, shared a similar joy in embracing his life with his husband.
“My husband and I, we can come out to the common areas freely without worrying now,” Winn said.
He said he has been able to meet his neighbor, Rouse, and other tenants at the community events planned for the residents.
“The ‘party deck’ that we have ... is great,” Winn said. “When the weather is not so hot, I think it’s gonna be a lot of fun.”
