Comments on: Olivia starts first lesbian housing development

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:15:25 +0000

I already own a condo unit in this complex.

I am currently marketing my unit for sale at $35,000 less than what is being charged by Olivia Communities. My unit has a great view and overlooks main courtyard, the pool and fitness center. If you have any interest in my condo, please email me at robby23@ymail.com and I can provide you with additional information.

Thanks,

Rob

By: Lesbian company Olivia creating lesbian ghetto | Lesbilicious - the web's tastiest lesbian magazine

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:34:25 +0000

[...] Dlugacz, president and founder of Olivia Companies, told 365gay.com that the majority of women to have put down deposits on the condos are in the 55-70 age group. [...]

By: rob

rob — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:39:20 +0000

I already own a unit in this complex.

I bought a unit when this property was originally converted from an apartment complex to a condominium. I am willing to sell my unit $30,000 to $40,000 less than what is being charged by Olivia Communities. My unit has a great view and overlooks the pool. If you have any interest in my property, please reply below and I will contact you. Thanks.

By: B.K. Wright

B.K. Wright — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:36:40 +0000

I think it’s great what she has done. We have a lesbian couple across the street and they are nicer than any of our neighbors. They have a beautiful yard too. We need more like this.

By: James Staley

James Staley — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:07:13 +0000

This is wonderful, I am living at a condo in Ann Arbor, Michigan and it is difficult when my neighbors know, they are not rude, they are just like oh no wife and children. It sure would be nice to be living in a community where the living situation would be like this for men and females. Any one that is living ther is lucky and it is wonderful. You just do not know how wonderful it is until you have had problems in your life because you are Gay.

By: Pete

Pete — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 22:21:11 +0000

I have to agree with Carolyn. We’ve seen similar apartment conversions in the SF Bay Area complete with endorsements from a famous author. But the developers are merely offering apartments at twice to triple the average rate for the area. They offer little in added services, other than a promise that the units will be marketed to glbt folks, which by Federal law is all they can do because anything else would violate fair housing law. So are they relying on the higher rates to ensure heterosexuals don’t buy in?

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 01:28:11 +0000

This is a semi-upscale apartment complex that was bought by developers more than a year ago and converted to condos. They evidently didn’t sell as planned. The prices Olivia is charging for what are basically apartments is ludicrous. Once again, the middle-income population of the community is being neglected by wealthy developers in the community. i lived in Tucson for almost 18 months & know the neighborhood. This complex is on the border between nice and tacky. Way too over-priced. Lesbians in Tucson have many more affordable options. There is already a thriving, diverse, out LGBT community in & around Tucson. This development will not “make” the community.

By: Chris Sullivan

Chris Sullivan — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:14:14 +0000

Thanks Kathie – but we DID read the article and are intelligent enough to “read between the lines” and have every right to ask questions. Statements such as “… the first large scale lesbian housing development in the country…” and “… although anyone can purchase a home, the company is targeting lesbians” make the not so subtle implication that “we legally have to keep it open to everyone, but we really would prefer ythat only lesbians be there”. And actually, that’s just fine – really. But questioning it further might have brought our a more genuine desire for gay men as well as lesbians or it may have clarified the upfront intent. All too often what happens is, people SAY they are inclusive because they HAVE to, when the REALITY is that they aren’t at all – so attempting to get greater clarity in that regard doesn’t mean people “haven’t bothered to read the article”.

By: Tomeka

Tomeka — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:25:10 +0000

I feel as though the Olivia’s lesbian community should be for both gay and lesbians the same. If so, there will be men and women living in the community. Most likely, with children too. Therefore, it wouldn’t be any different from any other community. It would appear as the same, yet “inside” everyone would know that they were either gay or lesbian. Consequently, I don’t see the community as demonstrating discrimination or segregation. If a person purchases a home there, it’s obvious that it is only because it is their idea living situation. The only problem I see is if it was broadcasted or bragged to those that couldn’t live in the community–causing them to protest the situation. And who would want to do that? Would it be gays and lesbians? I don’t think so, but there are always the “in closet” people who just want to fit in as oppose to standing out and wouldn’t want or believe in a community like this one.

By: Pete

Pete — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:28:23 +0000

I’ve been hanging out at glbt retirement forums for a while. I’ve been lurking around various forms of community web sites like http://www.ic.org, http://www.cohousing.org, and their listservs: http://lists.cohousing.org/archives/cohousing-l/

The solutions like this Olivia development seem to all be upscale and very large.

I’m just wondering for a community of individuals who have had to create their own identity, communal space, culture etc. out of whole cloth in spite of the weight of social convention, society, religion, politics, the law, why then are we accepting these large, upscale – rather conventional – living arrangements? They seem awfully one-size-fits-all to me.

Just as the last thirty years has been full of gay men and lesbians inventing their own path personally, politically and socially, I would expect a lot more creativity to housing and retirement solutions.

I’m waiting to hear about glbt DIY housing options like here:
http://www.coophousing.org/starting_new.shtml
So you can design in exactly what you want.