CUOMO AWARDS $24.5 MILLION IN HUD GRANTS TO HELP MORE THAN 5,000 PEOPLE WITH HIV/AIDS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN 15 STATES AND DC

See list of grants details

WASHINGTON - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo today awarded $24.5 million to programs in 15 states and the District of Columbia to provide housing and supportive services for more than 5,000 low-income people with HIV/AIDS and their families.

Cuomo awarded 22 grants for $22.5 million to non-profit groups and state and local government agencies in: Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Texas.

Cuomo also awarded $2 million in technical assistance funding to two national consortiums that will support program operations around the country.

The grants are part of HUD's Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program, which is distributing a total of $225 million in grants this year. Ninety percent of the funds are distributed to cities and states by a formula based on the number of AIDS cases reported. Descriptions of these awards can be viewed at www.hud.gov/cpd/hopwahom.html

The remaining 10 percent of HOPWA grants - the funds announced today - are awarded as competitive grants.

Vice President Al Gore, who announced the formula grants on World AIDS Day last December, praised the winners of the competitive awards: "These new HIV/AIDS housing programs evidence again the commitment of this Administration to join the community in fighting the devastation of AIDS. Throughout the nation, community organizations offer their compassion and their skills to help persons struggling with HIV/AIDS and their families. We are pleased that HOPWA offers them needed financial support in their efforts, and helps avoid compounding illness with homelessness."

Cuomo said: "AIDS can leave people too ill to work, and can impose huge medical bills that throw people into poverty and force them into homelessness when they can't pay their rent. The grants we're awarding today will protect people with AIDS. People fighting for their lives shouldn't have to fight to keep a roof over their heads."

Improved - and expensive - medical treatments are enabling people with AIDS to live longer, thereby increasing demand for the housing and supportive services funded by HOPWA grants, Cuomo said.

Because of the growing need for housing for people with HIV/AIDS, President Clinton proposed increasing funding for HOPWA grants in his Fiscal Year 2000 budget to $240 million. However, despite the increasing need, the HUD budget bills approved by the House and Senate do not fully fund the program. The House bill provides the current level of $225 million, while the Senate bill provides $232 million. The bills are awaiting consideration by a House-Senate Conference Committee.

The competitive grants awarded today will go to:

STATE & NAME OF GRANTEE	AREA TO BE SERVED	AMOUNT
AK - Alaska Housing Finance Corp.	Northern, Interior and SE Alaska	$616,000
CA - County of Alameda	Oakland & parts of Alameda Co.	$1,249,145
CA - City of San Jose, Dept. of Housing	Santa Clara County	$1,346,000
CA - West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation	Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Los Angeles County	$459,005
CO - Del Norte Neighborhood Development Corp.	Denver	$959,330
DE - Delaware HIV Consortium	Wilmington	$934,487
DC - Safe Haven Outreach Ministry	Washington DC metro area	$1,286,000
HI - Maui AIDS Foundation	Islands of Molokai, Lanai, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii	$1,158,399
ID - Idaho Housing and Finance Assoc.	Statewide	$1,299,837
IL - Pioneer Civic Services	Peoria	$515,592
IL - Travelers and Immigrant Aid/Chicago Connections	Chicago and Cook County	$1,286,000
ME - The AIDS Project	Portland and southern Maine	$712,221
MD - City of Baltimore, Dept. Housing and Comm. Development	Baltimore	$1,359,500
MA - Justice Resource Institute	Plymouth, Bristol, Hampden, Hampshire & Essex Co.	$1,256,815
MA - Community Healthlink, Inc.	Worcester	$1,236,000
NH - State Dept. Health & Human Services	Greater Manchester area	$520,448
NY - Greyston Health Services, Inc.	Westchester County	$1,271,870
NY - United Bronx Parents, Inc.	The Bronx	$1,080,000
PA - Asociacion de Puertorriquenos en Marcha, Inc.	Philadelphia	$1,193,511
RI - Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp.	Statewide	$1,078,995
TX - Tarrant County Community Development Division	Tarrant County/Ft. Worth	$861,622
TX - Houston Regional HIV/AIDS Resource Group, Inc.	Houston and Harris County	$783,333

Groups receiving the HUD funds above have pledged to raise $50.1 million in other funds and volunteer contributions on top of the HOPWA assistance they receive.

The two national technical assistance grants announced today will provide:

• $1.75 million to AIDS Housing of Washington (Seattle) which is collaborating with Bailey House (New York City) and the AIDS Housing Corporation (Boston).

• $250,000 to The Center for Urban and Community Services (New York City), which will partner with the Hudson Planning Group (New York City), the Corporation for Supportive Housing, (offices in New York and eight other States), Lakefront SRO (Chicago), and the Barry University School of Social Work (Miami Shores, FL).

The HUD grants will:

• Help people with HIV/AIDS remain in their homes by providing rental assistance and needed supportive services such as meals, medical care, and counseling.

• Provide housing to people with HIV/AIDS and their families facing homelessness.

• Identify homeless people who have chronic problems with drugs, alcohol or mental illness for special assistance.

• Help develop ways to better plan, design, manage and evaluate housing and related assistance for people with HIV/AIDS.

HUD received 62 applications from 25 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia requesting more than $62.7 million in competitive HOPWA funds. The available funds for the awards represent only about 36 percent of that request. There were six applications seeking a total of $7 million that competed for the available $2 million in technical assistance, which goes toward improving management, developing planning strategies, and expanding the exchange of information

Content Archived: January 20, 2009