The first purpose-built Extra Care scheme for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people in the UK was first announced by Manchester City Council in 2017, following years of discussions with LGBT Foundation and LGBT community members.
LGBT Foundation received a grant from Homes England’s Community Housing Fund in 2020 to map the needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities and involve them in the development and management of Manchester City Council’s LGBT-affirmative Extra Care Scheme. One aspect of the project was to gather the learning behind the development of the scheme.
This journal starts by considering the need for housing specifically for older LGBT people and reviews the timeline of the development of the LGBT-majority Extra Care Scheme in Manchester.
The journal then capture the learning gained under six themes and highlights the forces at play which will be useful for others interested in developing housing for older LGBT people:
• Foundations (evidence of need and business case)
Each theme includes snapshots of the opinions of those interviewed for the journal and reviews what worked and what could be done differently.
The journal's themes also outline what further discussions have yet to take place as we continue our journey through the next phases of development. The journal will live on LGBT Foundation’s website and it will be updated to track the ongoing learning through to the opening of the LGBT Extra Care Scheme. People are also encouraged to share their views and experiences to inform this journal by emailing: [email protected]
A number of people were interviewed to gather their opinions on the lessons learned from the development of the scheme until December 2020. A list of those interviewed is included in the introduction.
