CareSource Donates $1 Million to Support Innovative Redevelopment of Former Longfellow School Property

The Longfellow Commons Community in Dayton will provide safe, healthy senior living for LGBTQA+ community and allies.

(DAYTON, Ohio – November 15, 2022) – CareSource, a nationally recognized nonprofit health plan, announced today a $1 million donation to United Church Homes to support the development of a 126-unit, age 55-plus residential community that will be intentionally programmed as welcoming and enriching for the LGBTQA+ community and allies. The Longfellow Commons Community will be the first senior living community of its kind in Dayton and only the fourth in the nation. The project will include the redevelopment of the former Longfellow School on Salem Avenue and ultimately comprise a new apartment building and shared community spaces on its 2+ acre campus.

“Providing opportunities to live your best life is important to CareSource,” said Erhardt Preitauer, president & CEO of CareSource. “We hope this financial support enables United Church Homes to positively enrich the lives of both the LGBTQA+ community as well as the neighborhood where it is being developed.”

Longfellow School was located at 245 Salem Avenue in Dayton’s historic Grafton Hill neighborhood until its closure in 2017. The campus was purchased in 2020 by The G.F. Bailey Company and Weyland Ventures, and the project has received federally funded and competitive Historic Tax Credit approval.

United Church Homes, based in Marion, Ohio, which owns and manages more than 80 retirement communities in 14 states and two native American nations, will serve as the senior living partner in the project. According to United Church Homes, 48% of LGBTQ+ couples experience adverse treatment when seeking senior housing, and community members are more likely than heterosexual people to experience negative physical and mental health challenges.

The Longfellow Commons Community will offer residents an array of services and programs designed to promote good health and wellness, such as service coordination to help connect with providers, resources and transportation, fitness classes, social events and pet walking.

“We consider it an honor to partner with CareSource who shares our passion for this unique project and has come alongside in support with meaningful resources to help make it a reality,” said Rev. Kenneth Daniel, president and chief executive officer for United Church Homes. “This project will have wide-ranging appeal to older adults in the Dayton area and beyond who desire to live in an intentionally inclusive, safe and welcoming community.”

About United Church Homes

United Church Homes is a leading provider of senior living and services and the 21st largest multisite, nonprofit senior living organization in the U.S. according to the 2021 LeadingAge Ziegler 200 ranking, serving more than 5500 residents in its owned and managed communities.

For more information visit: www.unitedchurchhomes.org.