Groundbreaking Report Surveys Westchester's LGBTQ+ Community

From the Westchester Community Foundation

Westchester’s first-ever survey of the needs of the county’s LGBTQ+ community are captured in a groundbreaking report commissioned by the Westchester Community Foundation. The report, titled Stand Up and Be Counted, reveals that increasing access to LGBTQ+-friendly health care, legal, and housing services is of top importance to this growing part of the Westchester community.

The report, which was released at a press conference on Oct. 24, 2018, describes a community that is diverse in age, gender identity and expression, and race and ethnicity, as well as economic status. It is a community that experiences barriers to accessing important services. The report recommends a number of actions that can be taken to reduce barriers to these services.

“This report is an important first step in that it captures essential data about our local LGBTQ+ community and highlights ways Westchester can become more inclusive,” noted Laura Rossi, executive director of the Foundation. The Foundation commissioned the report from Strength in Numbers Consulting Group, which surveyed Westchester residents ages 16 and up in March.

Key recommendations from the report include building more LGBTQ+ housing for seniors, strengthening the role of the county liaison to the LGBTQ+ community, and increasing opportunities for social connections, both through business development and the nonprofit sector.

The Foundation convened a Task Force with The LOFT: LGBT Community Services Center, WJCS Center Lane, the LGBTQ Legal Project at Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, and Yonkers City Council Majority Leader Michael Sabatino to analyze responses received from 654 survey respondents. The Task Force prioritized recommendations to address gaps in access to services and foster a more inclusive community.

“This report is invaluable to The LOFT,” noted Judy Troilo, LOFT executive director. “The data supports the need for many of our existing initiatives and provides us with additional insight which will lead our program design in 2019.”

Two members of the Foundation’s Task Force, Michael Sabatino and Christopher Oldi, are members of Westchester County Executive George Latimer’s LGBTQ Advisory Board. “This was a much-needed assessment of the LGBT community here in Westchester,” said Sabatino. “The results are an excellent indicator of what services are adequate and more importantly what services are lacking and need addressing. The results in the report will be used as guidance to implement additional services.”

The report can be downloaded at the Westchester Community Foundation website and The LOFT website.

PHOTO: At Wednesday’s press conference at The Loft in White Plains, Westchester Community Foundation Executive Director Laura Rossi, Yonkers City Council Majority Leader Michael Sabatino, and The Loft Executive Director Judy Troilo spoke about the work of the Task Force that produced the report./ Westchester Community Foundation