HUD AWARDS $2.6 MILLION TO FLORIDA HIV-AIDS HOUSING PROGRAMS
Funding supports stable housing for individuals and families at extreme risk for homelessness

MIAMI, FL - Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced $2,679,976 million in grant awards to assist extremely low-income persons and families living with HIV/AIDS in Florida. The grant awards will provide these households with a stable living environment, which is essential to accessing healthcare and HIV related services. In addition to these grant programs will provide access to the needed supportive services in assisting beneficiaries with a path to self-sufficiency such as life skills, job readiness services and employment training.

The funding announced today is offered through HUD's Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program (HOPWA) and will renew HUD's support of 30 local programs in 20 states. HUD grants will renew support to the following programs in Florida:

"These grants will provide our local partners with crucial funding that is necessary to provide individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS a place to call home," said Secretary Shaun Donovan. "The comfort of knowing that you have a roof over your head makes a huge difference in the wellbeing of families and gives hope to those who might otherwise end up living on the streets."

"The grants offer housing, vital healthcare and hope to individuals and families that literally save lives," said Edward Jennings, Jr., HUD Southeast Regional Administrator. "This crucial funding is fundamental to providing a stable living environment to access healthcare and HIV related services."

Florida
I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless, Inc., a non-profit community-based organization, is awarded a HOPWA permanent supportive housing renewal grant of $1,215,572 to continue its Scattered Emergency Apartments for Chronically Homeless HIV+ Adult Males (SEA-CHAM) program. The program provides Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) to 40 chronically homeless and multiple diagnosed men living with HIV. A combination of supportive services will complement housing support through access to primary health and dental care, HIV/AIDS case management, life skills training, substance abuse counseling, and other linkages to community providers in Duval County. For more information contact: Mr. Andy Barber, Director of Program Funding, Sulzbacher Center, 611 East Adams Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202. Phone: (904) 394-8083, and Email: andybarber@tscjax.org.

City of Key West, Community Planning and Development Office, is awarded a HOPWA permanent supportive housing renewal grant of $1,464,404 to continue a rental assistance program providing a continuum of support for low-income persons with HIV/AIDS and their families in the Florida Keys. The program provides three units of facility-based housing along with Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) to 42 households. In collaboration with AIDS Help Inc., the program provides ongoing supportive services including case management, nutritional services, and mental health services. For more information contact: Ms. Lee-Ann Broadbent, Program Administrator, Key West Housing Authority, Community Development Office, 1400 Kennedy Drive, Key West, FL 33040. Phone: (305) 292-1221, and Email: broadbentl@kwha.org.

Many of the projects receiving renewed funding provide for specialized models in outreach and service delivery, including efforts that target help to persons who have been homeless or are at extreme risk of becoming homeless. The awarded programs are designed to increase coordination with the homeless assistance grant programs as well as other federal resources provided at the local level. These grants offer innovations in HIV care to increase job readiness and employment opportunities for persons in stabilized care. The grants announced today also support the Obama Administration's Opening Doors (www.usich.gov/PDF/OpeningDoors_2010_FSPPreventEndHomeless.pdf), strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness, and National HIV AIDS Strategy, that identifies Housing as a key component to preventing the spread of HIV.

In addressing goals under these strategies, HUD will contribute a variety of housing resources to promote better integration of housing interventions into comprehensive HIV care systems. Housing assistance and related services funded by HOPWA are an essential part of the comprehensive system of care for low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS. A stable home environment is also vital for these households in allowing them to access consistent medical care and maintain their health. Furthermore, secure housing can be a platform for improved quality of life.

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. HUD's formula grants are managed by 138 local and state jurisdictions, which coordinate AIDS housing efforts with other HUD and community resources. Overall, these resources assist over 60,000 households annually to provide stable housing and reduced risks of homelessness for those living with HIV and other challenges.

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