San Juan Offers Affordable Rental Housing for Persons with HIV/AIDS

From left, Hector Tamayo, Housing Director, Municipality of San Juan; Jorge Santini, San Juan Mayor; Lissette Alonso, Executive Director, La Perla del Gran Precio; and Mercedes Marquez, HUD Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development who is greeting a program beneficiary.

With help from HUD's $1.3 million, $375,000 from its Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) and $991,893 from the Supportive housing Program (SHP), the first of seven projected properties devoted to persons with AIDS opened its doors in early September. HUD's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development went to Puerto Rico and was joined at the ceremony by Health Secretary for Puerto Rico Lorenzo Gonzalez and San Juan Mayor Jorge Santini. The officials welcomed the residents of the ten apartments from the first building.

The grantee organization, La Perla de Gran Precio, is a nonprofit devoted to help women with AIDS and without permanent housing. At their new location they will also offer supportive services for homeless persons with a disability.

HOPWA funding provides housing assistance and related supportive services and grantees are encouraged to develop community-wide strategies and form partnerships with area nonprofit organizations. HOPWA funds may be used for a wide range of housing, social services, program planning, and development costs. These include, but are not limited to, the acquisition, rehabilitation, or new construction of housing units; costs for facility operations; rental assistance; and short-term payments to prevent homelessness. HOPWA funds also may be used for health care and mental health services, chemical dependency treatment, nutritional services, case management, assistance with daily living, and other supportive services.

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Content Archived: January 2, 2014