Austin doesn’t have an LGBTQ+ senior housing community open yet. The first one, Iris Gardens in Montopolis, broke ground in June 2025 with 150 affordable apartments for people 55 and up. What’s open now is a twice-weekly senior center for LGBTQ+ seniors at upRising Church in South Austin, and a program for LGBTQIA2+ older adults run by the nonprofit Family Eldercare.
We also looked for Austin assisted living, nursing and home care providers that say on their own sites they’ve trained for LGBTQ+ residents, and didn’t find one. The section on choosing a provider below explains how to check yourself. For social groups and dating, see our guide to meeting older gay men and women.
The Short List
| Where | What it is |
|---|---|
| Iris Gardens | Affordable LGBTQIA2+ affirming apartments for people 55+, under construction |
| Golden Generation at upRising | Lunch and activities for LGBTQ+ seniors 60+, Mondays and Wednesdays |
| Rainbow Connections ATX | Walks, socials and support for LGBTQIA2+ older adults |
| Vivent Health’s Golden Survivors | A support group for people 55+ living with HIV |
Housing
Iris Gardens
Family Eldercare and the developer Vecino Group broke ground on Iris Gardens on June 18, 2025. Family Eldercare calls it Austin’s first LGBTQIA2+ affirming affordable housing community for older adults, with 150 units for people 55 and older and supportive services. It’s in the Montopolis neighborhood in Southeast Austin.
Family Eldercare’s announcement doesn’t give an opening date or say how to apply. If you want to live there, contact Family Eldercare and ask how the waitlist and income limits will work.
Is this your organization? Update this listing
Daytime Programs
Golden Generation at upRising Church
upRising Church in South Austin invites “all people 60+” to gather on Mondays and Wednesdays for activities, presentations and a lunch from Meals on Wheels. The church calls it “the first of its kind for LGBTQ seniors and their friends and allies.” Crafts, board games, puzzles, bingo and chair yoga are on the list. Meals on Wheels lists the same site as one of its senior centers, with “programs and support for LGBTQ+ seniors and allies.”
- Where: 8601 S 1st St, Austin 78748
- When: Mondays and Wednesdays. Call for times
- Phone: 512-291-8601 (church) or (512) 645-8110 (the senior center line Meals on Wheels lists)
- More: upRising Church and Meals on Wheels senior centers
Is this your program? Update this listing
Rainbow Connections ATX
Rainbow Connections ATX, a program of Family Eldercare, works to improve “the quality and vitality of life for LGBTQIA2+ older adults by providing connections, support, and advocacy in the greater Austin area.” It runs a monthly walk at Mueller Lake Park and a monthly online tea social, plus outings. Family Eldercare also offers guardianship, financial advocacy and housing help for older adults in general.
- More: Rainbow Connections ATX and its events
Is this your organization? Update this listing
Vivent Health’s Golden Survivors
Vivent Health’s Austin clinic runs Golden Survivors, “a closed psychosocial support group designed for individuals living with HIV who are 55 and older.” Ask the clinic’s behavioral health team about joining.
- Where: 104 E. Highland Mall Blvd, Suite 100, Austin 78752
- Phone: (512) 458-2437
- More: Vivent Health Austin
Is this your organization? Update this listing
Choosing Senior Living or Home Care
No Austin assisted living, nursing home or home care agency we searched says on its own site that it has LGBTQ+ training. That doesn’t mean none has it. Two national programs track this:
- SAGECare trains senior care providers on LGBTQ+ older adults and lists the ones that earn its credential. Search by city or state in SAGECare’s provider directory
- The Long-Term Care Equality Index is a voluntary survey of senior housing communities on LGBTQ+ inclusion. Communities sign up to take part. See the LEI participant list
Before You Choose a Provider
- Ask about training. Ask whether staff have had LGBTQ+ training, from whom, and when
- Ask about forms and records. Ask how intake forms handle partners, chosen family, names and pronouns
- Ask about spouses and partners. Ask whether a partner can share a room, and who counts as family for visits and updates
- Ask about trans residents. Ask how the community handles room assignments, bathrooms and personal care for trans and nonbinary residents
- Get your papers in order. Medical powers of attorney and other documents let you name who speaks for you. Our LGBTQ+ lawyers guide lists firms that handle estate planning
What We Couldn’t Check
- We haven’t been to these programs
- Iris Gardens’ opening date and application process, which weren’t on Family Eldercare’s page
- The times of the Golden Generation program
- The full SAGECare and LEI lists for Austin. The SAGECare search didn’t load results for us, and we read only the first page of the LEI list
Last checked: October 2026. Each organization’s own page read on October 15, 2026. See how we choose what goes on a list.
Coming early 2027
Community Circles: six people, one weeknight, the same faces every week
Small, peer-led, free. A place where people remember what you said last week.