Developing Affirmative Housing and Building Community for Older LGBTQ+ Adults in Spokane, Washington
Faculty Mentor
Rie (Leeay) Kobayashi, Ph.D., LMSW
Presentation Type
Poster
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Social Work
Abstract
This qualitative, exploratory study seeks to propose potential community interventions that will increase access to inclusive housing and decrease social isolation among LGBTQ+ individuals over 50 years of age based on currently available data. Social isolation has been recognized as a public health issue widely impacting communities across the United States. The older LGBTQ+ population is especially impacted by social isolation because of systemic discrimination and limitations. LGBTQ+ older adults in the US have historically faced a lack of legal protections, gaps in healthcare access, and structural and interpersonal inequity because of system development that support binary beliefs. These factors exacerbate social isolation in the LGBTQ+ population by continuously marginalizing these identities resulting in increased social isolation compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers (Cook-Daniels & Munson, 2010; Marshall & Cahill, 2021; Lampe et al., 2023). For insights on how to implement this knowledge scaled down to serve one community, four key informant interviews were conducted to gain nuanced perspective on the impacts of social isolation amongst the LGBTQ+ population located in Spokane, Washington. Key findings from the interviews include: the impacts of social isolation on LGBTQ+ seniors, lack of community infrastructure, emergence of community support, healthcare access and transportation concerns, interest in co-housing models, and culture of care training. Although numerous counts of adversity persistently arise, there are evolving and hopeful efforts to provide social support, community engagement, and alternative housing solutions to overcome health inequities.
Recommended Citation
Miller, Katie Diane, "Developing Affirmative Housing and Building Community for Older LGBTQ+ Adults in Spokane, Washington" (2025). 2025 Symposium. 14.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2025/works_2025/works_2025/14
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
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Developing Affirmative Housing and Building Community for Older LGBTQ+ Adults in Spokane, Washington
This qualitative, exploratory study seeks to propose potential community interventions that will increase access to inclusive housing and decrease social isolation among LGBTQ+ individuals over 50 years of age based on currently available data. Social isolation has been recognized as a public health issue widely impacting communities across the United States. The older LGBTQ+ population is especially impacted by social isolation because of systemic discrimination and limitations. LGBTQ+ older adults in the US have historically faced a lack of legal protections, gaps in healthcare access, and structural and interpersonal inequity because of system development that support binary beliefs. These factors exacerbate social isolation in the LGBTQ+ population by continuously marginalizing these identities resulting in increased social isolation compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers (Cook-Daniels & Munson, 2010; Marshall & Cahill, 2021; Lampe et al., 2023). For insights on how to implement this knowledge scaled down to serve one community, four key informant interviews were conducted to gain nuanced perspective on the impacts of social isolation amongst the LGBTQ+ population located in Spokane, Washington. Key findings from the interviews include: the impacts of social isolation on LGBTQ+ seniors, lack of community infrastructure, emergence of community support, healthcare access and transportation concerns, interest in co-housing models, and culture of care training. Although numerous counts of adversity persistently arise, there are evolving and hopeful efforts to provide social support, community engagement, and alternative housing solutions to overcome health inequities.
