While taking care of two dogs, Frank McClane showed off his one-bedroom apartment, decorated with photos he’s taken and lots of knickknacks.
“You can do a lot with thrift stores, a lot! Thirty to 45% of this apartment is thrift stores,” he said.
McClane has been living at the Triangle Square Apartments in Hollywood for about four years. He said he feels right at home and is grateful for the range of services and support available, especially during the height of the pandemic.
“The center was instrumental in getting us our vaccinations. We could stay in. When it was really precarious going out shopping for food and stuff like that, we were able to take advantage of the resources here,” he said.
The 104-unit complex aimed at LGBTQ seniors first opened in 2007 and is the largest of its kind in the country, according to the Los Angeles LGBT Center. The apartments are about a block away from the Pantages Theatre.
“It’s a really unique and rare situation where these types of buildings exist and the wait list to get into these places are pretty extensive,” said Michael McFadden, assistant director of senior services at the LA LGBT Center.
McFadden said thousands of people are on those waiting lists. To be eligible, residents have to be at least 62 years old and make 30% to 60% of area median income.
“For LGBT seniors in particular, a lot of folks may be disconnected to family members of origin, have limited support systems, many of their friends may have passed away,” he said.
They are also less likely to have children or grandchildren to support them. McFadden and his team are dedicated to overcoming those challenges with dozens of social programs and activities.
“Every Friday, we have a thing called ArtLab, where our activity coordinators come up with a different project,” he said.
Seniors are also served hot fresh lunches prepared by the center’s culinary arts program, a chance for residents to eat and socialize, something sorely missed during the lockdown.
There’s also a monthly food pantry and a farmers market, but McClane spends most of his time in the garden he helps maintain.
“I call it ‘Triangle Square Gay Gardens’ as a tribute to Grey Gardens,” he laughed. “If anybody’s seen it, they’ll get it. If you don’t, you won’t.”
McClane said the last job he had was working for a plant prop house in North Hollywood, doing plants and props for TV, motion pictures and commercials. He’s one of many residents here who used to work in the entertainment industry and is proud to have found a community he loves and that loves him back.