Mosaic Apartments, an LGBTQ+ friendly senior housing development, has officially opened its doors. 

The building, located on the corner of Forbes Avenue and Craft Avenue, houses 48 one and two-bedroom apartments for LGBTQ+ seniors and allies aged 65 and older. After its grand opening on Nov. 25, 2025, Mosaic Apartments became the second LGBTQ+ senior housing development in the state and the first in Western Pennsylvania.

Jim Pieffer, president and CEO of Presbyterian Seniorcare Network, said he was inspired to construct Mosaic Apartments after watching the documentary “Gen Silent,” which discussed housing discrimination against LGBTQ+ seniors. 

“We were at a training session over at the Persad Center in 2016, and we watched a movie called “Gen Silent,” which talked about the dilemma of seniors unable to find resources because of their connections to the LGBTQ community,” Pieffer said. “That interaction led us to the discussions about developing this [Mosaic Apartments] in Pittsburgh.” 

According to Christine Bryan, communications director at the Persad Center, the organization’s Older, Wiser, Leaders, Seniors group partnered with Presbyterian throughout the development of Mosaic Apartments, providing input on the building’s layout and composition. 

“[Presbyterian Seniorcare Network] really looked to the OWLS group to offer guidance on how Mosaic should be designed, so that they feel included and affirmed, should they choose to live there,” Bryan said. “They got lots of input from them, as well as our therapists, because mental health is really a big part of making sure that you’re feeling safe and feeling that you can be who you are in this space.”

The apartment was originally planned for Lawrenceville, near the Persad Center’s main office, according to Pieffer. However, after this deal fell through, Pitt, along with UPMC and Dialysis Clinic Inc., donated the site to Presbyterian Seniorcare Network in Oakland. 

“The University of Pittsburgh has been a long-standing partner, investor and collaborator to housing initiatives in Oakland,” University spokesperson Jared Stonesifer said. “We are proud to have played a role in this project, and we are equally proud of our role and mission as an anchor and engaged institution in Oakland.”

Pieffer said he feels this project is especially important today, given the Trump administration’s removal of diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

“In the current political environment, I think there’s a push against diversity, equity and inclusion, so doing things like this as a high-profile nonprofit says that we care and that others should care as well,” Pieffer said. 

Jeff Raines and John Krajack, a retired married couple living in Mosaic Apartments, learned about the project in a Zoom meeting before its construction through Raines’ involvement with Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders, a nonprofit organization serving LGBTQ+ senior citizens. 

“It was exciting to see that the community cared about what the LGBTQ+ community was going through in terms of housing, ” Raines said.

Raines and Krajack said they are grateful to be living there and are having fun connecting with some of their neighbors. They hope to connect with all of them in the spring when it’s warmer. 

“We’ve already had a couple of meet-and-greets with our neighbors downstairs in the community room,” Raines said. “I think in the spring we will really get to know all of our neighbors because we’ll be outside, and we’ll have a patio, and we have a balcony up on the fifth floor that we can get outside with.”

Krajack was particularly surprised at the diversity of Mosaic’s residents, some of whom have traveled from as far as California and Washington state. 

“There are a lot of people from outside the Pittsburgh community that I was very surprised to see even knew about this,” Krajack said. “But it makes it more diverse by having people from different communities around the country, and everybody’s very excited to be here.”

Krajack hopes the construction of Mosaic Apartments will inspire other developers to invest in affordable housing for seniors in the Pittsburgh area. 

“I think we’ll have a new coming of age with this building,” Krajack said. 

Pieffer shared this sentiment and said he hopes to have the opportunity to develop a “Mosaic Two” before his tenure ends. 

“’When’s Mosaic Two coming?’ That’s a big question everybody’s asking,” Pieffer said. “I think it just shows the need in the community, and I’m just very proud to have been the first one to do it here in Pittsburgh.”