Founded in 2001, Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing (GLEH) is a non-profit organization committed to constructing and maintaining high-quality affordable residential communities that provide a safe nurturing environment for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults.
GLEH is the outgrowth of a community organization called the Alliance for Diverse Aging Community Services (A-DACS). A-DACS was a community-based group started under the fiscal management of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center (LAGLC) with a $90,000 grant received from the Aging with Dignity Initiative established by Governor Gray Davis in the 2000-01 state budget. The Governor’s initiative included the administration of a grants program which would develop alternatives to nursing homes. The one-time startup funds challenged organizations to develop programs which could be sustained and replicated. A-DACS was responsible for addressing the unique needs & challenges of the aging LGBT population by: identifying gaps of services available to LGBT older adults; developing a plan for a full-range of services – including housing – for LGBT elders; and building a collaboration of service providers by conducting “sensitivity trainings” dealing with issues faced by LGBT elders.