A retirement community described as Britain's first for LGBTQ+ people is set to open after funding was secured from the Mayor of London.
A housing group has been awarded £5.7million loan, which it says it will contribute towards 19 homes at Bankshouse in Vauxhall, Lambeth.
The apartments will be aimed at ensuring elderly people do not feel as if they have to go back into the closet in later life - labelled Britain's "first LGBT+ affirming retirement community" by owners Tonic Housing.
A spokesman for the company confirmed that people who do not identify as LGBTQ+ would also be able to apply to live in the properties, adding: "There will be no discrimination."
In a statement, Tonic Housing said: "This is a major milestone for LGBT+ housing as there is no LGBT+ affirming provision with care currently in operation in the UK, despite there being a clearly defined need and demand from within the LGBT+ community."
Do you have a view on this story? Let us know in the comments below.
The properties will be available through the Older Persons Shared Ownership scheme, which allows buyers to purchase between 25 per cent and 75 per cent of their property.
Sales are due to begin this spring.
Prices are expected to reach £135,000 for a one-bedroom flat with a quarter ownership share, and £180,000 for a two-bedroom flat, reports the BBC.
A national survey in 2018 found that some older people felt they could not be open about being LGBTQ+ in retirement or care homes, and felt scared.
The complex, already an assisted living facility, is located near to the well-known Royal Vauxhall Tavern, which has been a go-to spot for drag acts since the 1950s.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "London is an open, diverse, inclusive city and I’m delighted to see these long-held plans come to fruition with the help of this loan and my Community-led Housing Hub.
"Older Londoners deserve to be able to enjoy their later years in comfort and security, surrounded by a thriving, supportive community.
"I look forward to seeing this realised at Bankhouse and to supporting Tonic’s work to establish further LGBTQ+ affirming developments in the years to come."
Anna Kear, chief executive of Tonic Housing, added: "We are making history today, realising a long-held dream to provide a safe place for older LGBT+ people to live well, in a community where they can be themselves and enjoy their later life.
"We applaud the mayor of London for recognising and supporting the needs of older LGBT+ Londoners."
Tonic Housing sought to explain "LGBT+ affirming" in a further statement online.
It said: "We believe that our services and support should not only be 'LGBT+-friendly', but genuinely affirming of the lives, histories, needs and desires of LGBT+ people.
"The term does not imply exclusion of those who do not identify as LGBT+ but actively values those who respect and celebrate LGBT+ people."
