The site of William Barton Rogers Middle School in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood is now an independent senior living space designed specifically for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
It’s called The Pryde, and it’s open to any community members over 62 who qualify for affordable housing — though, right now, it’s 100% occupied.
The community was a nine-and-a-half-year project created by Boston’s LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc. and Pennrose Management, which worked on renovations to make the space fully accessible to seniors, while also retaining the building’s historic charm, like original chalkboards and bell systems.
Seniors live in rent-restricted studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments at various income tiers, and amenities include a landscaped courtyard, walking track, fitness center, laundry facilities, sunroom, gallery spaces, classrooms, and even a resident cinema.
“In regular senior housing, there’s a lot of hate. There's a lot of bias. Older LGBT people, seniors, a lot of 'em have to go back in the closet,” resident Eddie Whitman told GBH News. “This is a safe environment to be who you are. It was literally like hitting the lottery.”
In addition to a rainbow-striped gymnasium floor, The Pryde’s pride is on display in every corner. It includes an adult learning library and art classroom, which hosts exhibitions curated with the Boston LGBTQ Museum of Art, History, and Culture. There is also a “Portraits of Pride” photography project that celebrates LGBTQ+ leaders on display throughout the facilities.
On-site supportive services also include LGBTQ+ programming and events, with offices for LGBTQ Senior Housing and the 54th Regiment on location.
“Together, these spaces create a vibrant hub for both residents and the broader community — a place to learn, celebrate, and belong,” LGBTQ Senior Housing writes on its website.
For Pennrose, building LGBTQ+-affirming housing is not a one-off endeavor. The firm’s CEO Timothy Henkel said the company owns and operates other senior housing communities for LGBTQ+ seniors in Cincinnati and proposed a similar project in Denver.
“It will always be our belief that every person, regardless of how they identify, deserves a safe living environment where they can be their most authentic self,” he told Multi-Housing News.
Inclusivity is simply a core value of his company’s portfolio.
“Shifts in the national political landscape and social issues don’t impact the type of housing we develop,” Henkel added. “We look to our local partners and communities to tell us where there is a need and who we can serve with high-quality housing.”
For residents at The Pryde, their needs have finally been met. In addition to providing much-needed housing support, the community offers safety some have never experienced until now.
“I’m a long-term HIV-AIDS survivor, and by the time I was not quite 40, I had to stop working. So I never had the opportunity to save for retirement. I didn't think I'd ever live to see retirement. From my generation, we lost so many people. I don't know why I’m still here. My mother used to say that God had plans for me,” Whitman told GBH News.
“I think on some level, if there’s a higher power, I believe that he did put me here to be with people,” he added. “That’s one of the reasons I live at Pryde … is when the day comes, I hope to be here and to know that I’m safe and that I’m loved.”
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A version of this article was originally published in The 2026 Home Edition of the Goodnewspaper.
Header images courtesy of LGBTQ Senior Housing/Facebook
