In March 2021 it was announced that the UK’s first retirement community for older LGBTQ+ people had received a loan of £5.7m from the Mayor of London to support the purchase of sheltered housing units for over 55s. Tonic is using the loan to purchase 19 flats at Bankhouse in Vauxhall, which will be available to buy on a shared ownership basis with new residents moving in towards the end of summer 2021.
Tonic has been working since 2014 to develop this milestone project which is the first of its kind in the UK. Their work is not just about purchasing housing units but also about creating vibrant and inclusive LGBTQ+ retirement communities, where people can share common experiences, find mutual support and enjoy later life.
The need for this is paramount. For the generation that faced the criminalisation of homosexuality and the AIDS crisis, some housing settings can be retraumatizing if there is ongoing discrimination from other residents or people working there. In some cases, residents even have to go back into the closet. Research into this has been compiled by Opening Doors London, Tonic and Stonewall in a 2020 report called Building Safe Choices.
InCommon has recently started a partnership with Tonic to set up an intergenerational programme that affirms LGBTQ+ identities. We know that bringing generations together helps people feel more seen, valued and connected in their community and this can help combat discrimination, including homo/bi/transphobia. Alex Eisenberg (Programme Officer at InCommon) has co-developed a pilot programme in consultation with the Tonic community advisory panel, which is made up of LGBTQ+ over-55s, and METRO Youth, who run an LGBTQ+ group for 16-18-year-olds.
In June 2021, both age groups will explore moments from LGBTQ+ history, co-create tools for facilitating intergenerational conversations on LGBTQ+ themes and develop ways to welcome older residents who will move into Bankhouse and the Tonic community.
We hope that this work can continue going forward and will encourage more younger and older LGBTQ+ people to engage in intergenerational conversations. Our partnership with Tonic and METRO will help to foster community connections, support older people to be positive role models and help young people develop new skills, and in the long term we hope that this will lead to a happier, healthier society for young and old alike.