Well, folks, i’ve won the lottery.
No no, don’t worry. Nobody has to start being nice to me owing to my fabulous new wealth as it wasn’t that kind of lottery but rather one getting me onto the waiting list for a studio apartment in senior, low-income housing. I spent a couple of years flailing around on my own, visiting these senior housing places, and discovering the waiting list closed for every single one i tracked down.
Then last winter i finally got smart and found an organization called Open House that helps gay seniors find housing. The way it works is when a housing complex decides to open their waiting list, they mention quietly to one or two people that tomorrow between 10:00 and 11:00 AM, they will open their doors to applicants for the list. When Open House learns about this, they send an email to their clients, and we join the swarm of applicants.
Then the complex conducts a lottery among the applicants to determine position on the list.
A month ago i followed up on an email alert, got to the complex in time, and filled out an application. Out of 179 applications, mine was the 9th chosen, so that’s my number on the list.
Other waiting lists will open, and i’ll try to get on them, but at least i’m finally on one. The bad news is that with the current rate of turnover at this complex, it’ll be maybe three years before i can get in. Who knows, though, i might get into another one sooner.
The two main implications, though, are that first, i need to escalate my program of dispersal of my non-essentials and second, this complex is nothing but studios, which means that i’d love to have my friends come visit me here while i have room to put them up. So think about it, and let’s make plans.
And yes, things are coming up roses, or in my case, Aeoniums. Like this two foot tall A. arboretum atropurpureum inflorescence on Sanchez Street.
