“We know in our work with older adults that as people get older, and they need to consider a retirement community or healthcare setting, they don’t necessarily feel like they can walk in there and be their authentic selves and get the care that they need or deserve,” United Church Homes vice president of development Gloria Hurwitz said.
The Marion-based company is a developer of the senior living facility, which will include 126 units for those 55 years old and older in a residential community.
The project will include the redevelopment of the former Longfellow School — the inspiration behind the proposed housing’s name — on Salem Avenue. It will consist of a new apartment building and shared community spaces on its campus, which is more than two acres.
The housing community could include features like a theater for arts and cultural performances, a pickleball court, a speakeasy, and a health clinic.
Hurwitz said Longfellow Commons is not expected to be fully rented out until late 2026. Developers are nearly halfway to their fundraising goal of $10 million for the project.
The Montgomery County Commission last week approved $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for Longfellow Commons.
Dayton’s government also committed $1.5 million in federal relief to the project, and United Church Homes last year was awarded $1.9 million in historic preservation tax credits. Also donating to the project was healthcare company CareSource.
“We are just continuing to have a variety of conversations with individuals, companies, anybody who’s very interested in this project to ask them to consider being a partner with us,” she said.
Sage, a New York-based advocacy group for LGBTQ elders, ranked Dayton among the top 10 LGBT friendly cities nationwide and among the top 10 best cities to retire in.
According to United Church Homes, 48% of LGBTQ couples experience adverse treatment when seeking senior housing, and community members are more likely than heterosexual people to experience negative physical and mental health challenges.
“We want to make sure that people understand that this will be another opportunity for that safety, security and opportunity to live life with meaning and purpose in your full self in one of our settings right here in Dayton,” Hurwitz said.
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