HUD AWARDS MORE THAN $31 MILLION TO ASSIST PEOPLE AND FAMILIES LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS
Florida Receives $1,186,841 To House and Serve Most Vulnerable

WASHINGTON - Housing and Urban Development Acting Secretary Alphonso Jackson today announced the award of more than $31 million to help local housing programs across the country to better serve persons with HIV/AIDS and their families. Earlier this month, the Department announced it is seeking $295 million in funding for AIDS housing programs under President Bush's proposed fiscal year 2005 budget. With this grant, the Jacksonville-based I.M Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless will partner with Gateway Community Services, Inc. to incorporate substance abuse treatment into the delivery of housing and supportive services to chronically homeless and HIV-diagnosed persons.

The funding announced today is part of HUD's Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program.
Housing assistance and services funded by HOPWA are a vital part of the comprehensive system of care for those living with HIV/AIDS. A stable home environment is a critical component for low-income persons managing complex drug therapies and potential side effects from their treatments.

"This funding will help our housing partners to continue offering vital housing and services to families trying to cope with HIV/AIDS," said Jackson. "HUD is also providing the necessary technical assistance to help local programs work more effectively. When it comes to living with this disease, a stable home is a critical part of staying healthy."

Eleven new or continuing programs totaling more than $11.8 million will receive funding. These include five projects that will demonstrate how to assist chronically homeless persons who are living with HIV/AIDS and one new
outreach effort to provide housing support for persons living with HIV/AIDS in the southern Colonias border region. Over the next three years, these HOPWA grants are expected to help nearly 1,500 persons receive the housing assistance and support services they require. In addition, these grants are expected to stimulate another $34
million in other funds to further help families.

More than $14 million of the funding announced today will be awarded to 14 existing HOPWA grantees that sought
to renew their funding. Taken together, these programs anticipate helping 2,400 persons to maintain stable housing and services over the next three years and to generate more than $24 million from other sources of funding.

HUD will also provide $1.5 million to four organizations that will, in turn, help AIDS housing programs across the country to maintain quality housing support for their clients. This technical assistance will help these local projects
to administer their programs more effectively and will enhance an organization's ability to weather financial hardship.

Finally, the Department, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will provide more than $3.5 million in rental assistance to persons with HIV-AIDS and will study the impact of stable housing on the health
of persons these programs serve. The Cities of Los Angeles, Chicago and Baltimore will participate in this three-year study where local and federal health and housing officials will study the role stable housing plays in the HIV status
of patients.

Ninety percent of HOPWA funds are distributed by formula to cities and states based on the number of AIDS cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HUD's formula grants are undertaken by 117 local and state jurisdictions, which coordinate AIDS housing efforts with other HUD and community resources.

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development as
well as enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet and espanol.hud.gov.

###