Gay and Lesbian Elder Housing (GLEH) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) tax exempt, equal opportunity housing provider, whose mission is to build and operate high-quality, affordable, multicultural housing for low-income and fixed income seniors with social and recreational services with a non-exclusive focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV/AIDS seniors. GLEH was founded in 2001 and is committed to developing and maintaining high-quality affordable residential communities that provide a safe nurturing environment for LGBT elders and others. Those not part of the LGBT community are welcome. The overall aim of GLEH is to provide a model of service-enriched affordable housing targeting LGBT seniors which fosters healthy, independent living, supports its residents to live meaningful lives, and builds healthy communities in which residents are respected for their life experiences and wisdom.
GLEH’s first affordable housing development, Triangle Square Hollywood, is the nation’s first affordable housing development of private, individual apartments with on-site services addressing the needs of LGBT elders 62 and over. Triangle Square serves as the flagship for future developments that GLEH builds, as well as a national model for other low-income developments for elders with services for LGBT elders and others.
Triangle Square is a handicap-accessible apartment building with 104 affordable senior apartments (96 one-bedroom units and 8 two-bedroom units). All units are occupied by residents who have 60% or less of area median income; 35 of the units are set aside for low-income HIV/AIDS, homeless, or at-risk of becoming homeless residents, and/or less than 20% AMI income.
Triangle Square opened its doors on the first housing complex in May 2007 and is fully occupied. All units come complete with full kitchens, fully equipped bathrooms, living rooms, bedrooms and dining rooms. Triangle Square was specifically designed to engage residents and to encourage them to interact – each floor has common areas such as a media center, gym, art/game room, laundry rooms, computer labs and library. The facility also has a swimming pool for recreational and therapeutic purposes, an outdoor courtyard, meeting space, and a 2,500 square foot community center. The community center is designed to host educational and health programs such as Medicare Part D classes, case management, HIV/AIDS support groups, mental health services, injury/fall prevention classes, nutrition classes/home delivery meals linkage, bereavement counseling, wellness programs and like-minded health programs. In addition, Triangle Square serves as a social services community center for LGBT older adults, with supportive services and recreational activities.
GLEH’s goal is to provide low-income, LGBT older adult residents of Triangle Square a safe, affordable place to age in place. Our vision not only promotes community within the living facility, but outside its four walls and into the greater Los Angeles area. Recognizing that aging service providers are not ready for the emerging growth in the LGBT older adult population, GLEH seeks nothing less than to build a facility that provides essential human services to a diverse population in need and create an affirming environment which allows LGBT older adults to maintain their identities with dignity and security. Although the building is not limited to LGBT elders, its primary goal is to offer these individuals the acceptance and peer support they might not be able to find elsewhere.