HUD AWARDS OVER $1.1 MILLION TO SPOKANE COUNTY TO HELP PEOPLE & FAMILIES LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS
Several community organizations in eastern Washington to benefit

SPOKANE - More than a thousand low-income individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS will find a permanent
home and get access to the services they need because of nearly $18.8 million in grants announced today by
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson. Over the next three years, the funding, which is
part of HUD's Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program, will offer compassionate assistance
to some of the most impoverished Americans, persons with HIV/AIDS who are in households experiencing a high risk
of homelessness.

Spokane County Community Services Division is awarded a HOPWA permanent supportive housing renewal grant of $1,151,406 to continue its REACH Project (Regionally Assisted Collaborative Housing Project). This project provides long and short term housing support to homeless or those in unstable housing who are living with HIV/AIDS in
eastern Washington.

Spokane County is working in partnership with North East WA Housing Solutions, Yakima County Coalition for the Homeless, Coalition of Responsible Disabled, Blue Mountain Heart to Heart, Okanogan County Community Action Center, and Volunteers of America. The project will provide 63 households with long-term rental assistance support and 60 others with short-term housing. The project also provides support from housing case managers to assist beneficiaries in locating housing, making utility payments, and providing referral services to secure permanent
housing.

"We are pleased that Spokane County Community Services Division has received this grant to continue providing
these vital services to people with HIV/AIDS in eastern Washington," said HUD Spokane Office Director, Arlene
Patton.

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. Later this year, HUD anticipates awarding an additional
$18 million for other programs committed to finding supportive housing for persons living with HIV/AIDS.

"HOPWA provides housing support to some of the most vulnerable Americans," said Jackson. "We know that a stable home environment helps persons living with HIV/AIDS to better care for themselves and when that happens, people live longer."

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 HIV/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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EDITORS NOTE: For more information, contact Ms. Edie Rice-Sauer, Program Manager, Spokane County Community Services Division at (509) 477-5722.