Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA)
The Chicago Department of Public Health, Division of STI/HIV/AIDS has served as the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Formula grantee for the Chicago Eligible Metropolitan Statistical Area (EMSA) since 1992. The Chicago EMSA includes Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kendall, McHenry and Will counties.
The HOPWA program was established by HUD in 1992 to address the specific housing needs of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Under the HOPWA program, housing services needed by PLWHA are supported through the provision of funds to agencies that provide effective strategies to prevent homelessness and facilitate access to a range of needed treatment and supportive services.
The Division uses HOPWA resources to fund not-for-profit, community-based organizations located within the Chicago EMSA that have experience in providing these services for PLWHA .
The HOPWA program funds three service categories:
Facility Based Housing Assistance
Funds in the Facility-Based Housing Assistance service category are for community residential facilities including community residences, Single Room Occupancy (SRO) dwellings, short-term facilities, project-based rental units, and master leased units, serving low-income individuals with HIV/AIDS and low-income families with at least one HIV/AIDS positive member, that are homeless or in imminent danger of becoming homeless. Facility-Based Housing may also be multiple apartments within the same building, building complex, or building proximity housing individuals with HIV/AIDS and their families. HOPWA regulation 24 CFR 574.230
The delegate agencies providing Facility-Based Housing Assistance within the Chicago EMSA are the following: Agape Missions, Alexian Brothers Bonaventure House, Anixter Center-CALOR, Canticle Ministries, Inc., Chicago House and Social Services Agency, Children’s Place Association, Christian Community Health Center, Community Supportive Living System, Edge Alliance, Haymarket Center (McDermott Center), Heartland Health Outreach, Heartland Human Care Services, Inc., Housing Opportunities for Women, Inc., Human Resources Development Institute Inc., Interfaith House, Pilsen Wellness Center, Puerto Rican Cultural Center – Vida/SIDA, and Unity Parenting & Counseling Inc.
Tenant-Based Rental Assistance
Funds in the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance service category are to assist low-income and extremely low-income individuals disabled by HIV/AIDS in avoiding homelessness during periods of illness or financial difficulties. The TBRA program provides long term housing stability for persons with HIV/AIDS. Tenant-Based rental Assistance as identified at 24 CFR 574.300(b) (5), is a rental subsidy program used to help low-income households obtain permanent housing in the private rental housing market that meets housing quality standards and is rent reasonable. The subsidy amount is determined in part based on household income and rental costs associated with the tenant’s lease.
The delegate agency providing Tenant Based Rental Assistance throughout the Chicago EMSA is the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
Housing Information Services
Funds in the Housing Information Services category is intended for individuals and families of low to very low income that are currently not in HOPWA supported housing that are living with HIV/AIDS and are homeless or in imminent danger of becoming homeless. . The program assists in locating, acquiring, and maintaining housing. The services may include fair housing counseling for eligible persons who may encounter discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, familial status, or handicap/disability. Services may also include referral to legal assistance for eviction issues, mediation, adoption, acquiring social security benefits and other federal assistance, and wrongful discharge.
The delegate agencies providing Housing Information Services in the Chicago EMSA are the following: AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Asian Human Services, Canticle Ministries, FOLA Community Action Services, Human Resources Development Institute, Legal Assistance Foundation (LAF), and the Puerto Rican Cultural Center – Vida/SIDA.
For further information contact:
Chenise Payton at chenise.payton@cityofchicago.org
