“It Becomes a Catch-22 Situation”: Housing Experiences and Possibilities for LGBTQ+ Aging

As shelter costs in Canada continue to rise, housing affordability and questions about what housing will be available and accessible in older age are a concern for many marginalized groups, including among LGBTQ+ older adults. This paper shares housing-related findings from a national study on aging and living well among LGBTQ+ older adults across the country, in which we conducted semi-structured interviews with 48 LGBTQ+ older adults between the ages of 64–81. In it, we elaborate four key themes: (1) housing (in)security and cost; (2) housing safety; (3) how to age in place; and (4) mixed perspectives on shared housing models, and discuss systemic and social changes needed to support access to housing that is affordable, accessible, predictable, and safe for LGBTQ+ older adults that will enable them to age in the “right place”.