ON WORLD AIDS DAY, HUD ANNOUNCES $1.2 MILLION TO HELP PERSONS AND FAMILIES WITH HIV/AIDS IN ILLINOIS
Funding part of $18.7 million awarded nationwide to 16 model programs

CHICAGO, IL - Housing and Urban Development Regional Director for the Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin) Joseph P. Galvan today announced nearly $1.2 million in HUD funding to Joliet-based Cornerstone Services, Inc. The Illinois transitional housing program will use this funding to help 19 persons with HIV/AIDS and their families to find the housing and services they need to stay healthy.

The funding announced today is part of $18.7 million awarded to 16 model local programs nationwide through HUD's Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program. Housing assistance and related 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 critical for low-income persons managing complex drug therapies and potential side effects from their treatments.

"In keeping with the theme of this year's World AIDS Day, HUD is 'Keeping the Promise' to work with exceptional
local programs like the Cornerstone Services, Inc. that serve the most vulnerable among us," said Galvan. "These
local projects provide real housing solutions for those who might otherwise be calling the streets their home."

Non-profit Cornerstone Services, Inc. is awarded a HOPWA Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) transitional housing demonstration grant of $1,192,264 to provide scattered-site tenant-based rental housing for
19 homeless households living with HIV/AIDS and mental illness that targets women with children. The program will focus on behavioral health, employment training, and family reunification leading to stable, permanent housing
through the provision of a variety of coordinated and comprehensive supportive services. This project is in
partnership with Agape Missions, Inc., Regional Care Association, Stepping Stones, and Metro Infectious Disease Consultants to promote choice, dignity, and the opportunity to independently live and work in Will County.

HUD is providing a total of $18.7 million to 16 local programs that will help 545 households to find transitional supportive housing for the next three years and will seek to move these families into more permanent arrangements with greater self-sufficiency. In addition to the HUD funding awarded today, Cornerstone Services, Inc. will
stimulate another $333,380 from other public and private sources so they can further assist their clients.

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 121 local and
state jurisdictions, which coordinate AIDS housing efforts with other HUD and community resources. This year, HUD
is making available a total of $6,206,000 in HOPWA formula funding to help the City of Chicago and communities throughout Illinois provide housing for this special needs population.

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.

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The following local projects are being funded through HUD's HOPWA Program:

Note: For a complete project summary of the funding announced today, visit HUD's website.