At the RainbowVision Properties assisted living community in Santa Fe, N.M., LGBT seniors can live in the majority, said Joy Silver, president and CEO of the organization. RainbowVision offers housing for the “second 50 years,” including community assistance in several cities and new assisted living locations to come in Palm Springs, Calif., and the San Francisco area.
At RainbowVision properties, sexual orientation is understood without having to be explained, said Silver.
The facility is not exclusively LGBT—about a quarter of the population at RainbowVision in Santa Fe is heterosexual, Silver said. Individuals, gay and straight alike, come to the community for the social programs, entertainment, creative environment, and amenities.
For LGBT residents, the attraction is often the chance to share their history, said Silver. In some cases, residents came from communities that were “gay friendly” and would feel uncomfortable living their later years even in a facility open to LGBT residents—but without many. “It's more than simply diversity training,” Ms. Silver said.