By Morey Riordan –
As I reflect on my first couple of months as the Executive Director of Openhouse, my experience has been one of deep learning, joy, and appreciation for the enduring connection and support that our LGBTQ+ community has with our organization.
As a former board member now returning to the organization after several years away, I am stunned by the growth and reach of our support for older LGBTQ+ adults throughout San Francisco. In the past year, Openhouse has served 3,700 people across our housing, support services, and other programs. This growth reflects a clear community need for social connection, housing assistance, and help plugging into resources for things like food and transportation. Every day I see the deep desire for joyful and meaningful connection among the people we serve, as well as serious threats to food security and basic benefits that our older community members rely on.
We recently heard the news that Cal Fresh, the food program that helps so many of our community members from experiencing hunger, will suspend payments until the government shutdown ends. This accompanies similar news that HUD will suspend Section 8 subsidized housing payments. Many of the older adults whom we serve are only able to live comfortably and with a sense of security because of these programs.
In these times, we are witnessing a stunning disregard for those among us who are living in (or close to) poverty. We know that our older adults are disproportionately represented in this population. At Openhouse, we refuse to accept that it is the fate of our people to live in a state of fear for their basic needs and survival. These are the people who fought courageously for the rights and dignity that we are all able to experience today in San Francisco, and beyond. I believe that it is our duty now to fight to protect older LGBTQ+ adults from the callousness and harmful policy shifts coming from the federal government.
We are a community that cannot and does not rest when threats challenge our health, well-being, and survival. We showed our tenacity and demand for justice during the early days of the AIDS epidemic when our people were dying because of a similar callousness and disregard. Those whom Openhouse now serves were at the vanguard of our refusal to accept stigma, discrimination, and death as our fate. It is now time to have their backs.
We all deserve to experience our older years as a time of well-being, housing and food security, rich social connection, and discovery. Openhouse will continue to grow to meet community needs and remain a hub of learning, support, and joy. In these times, we need all hands on deck to preserve, nurture, and grow our work. We invite our community to join us in this work. Help us set in stone the future that we all deserve.
To learn more about Openhouse, and how to join us in this work, visit https://www.openhousesf.org/
Morey Riordan joined Openhouse in September 2025 as Executive Director. He previously served as Executive Director at several HIV and LGBTQ+ focused organizations. Additionally, he founded the Transgender Strategy Center, offering no cost coaching and technical assistance to trans led and serving organizations across the U.S. Riordan currently serves on the Board of the National Center for LGBTQ Rights and previously served as a board member at Openhouse for five years.
Aging in Community
Published on November 6, 2025
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