Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS

To provide States, units of local government, or nonprofit organizations with the resources and incentives to devise long-term comprehensive strategies for meeting the supportive housing needs of low-income persons and their families living with HIV/

The Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program was created to address the housing needs of low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS and their families. HOPWA funds may be used for a wide range of housing, supportive services, program planning, and development costs.

Formula Program: Eligible applicants include cities that are the most populous unit of general local government in metropolitan statistical areas with more than 500,000 people and at least 2,000 HIV/AIDS cases and States with more than 2,000 HIV/AIDS cases outside of eligible metropolitan statistical areas. Awards are contingent upon the submission and approval by HUD of a jurisdiction's Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan. Competitive Program: Eligible applicants include States, units of general local government, and nonprofit organizations. Additional applicant eligibility may apply depending on the competitive grant opportunity. Awards are based on competitive applications, with priority given by congressional authority to the renewal or replacement of expiring permanent supportive housing project grants. If funds remain after the renewal/replacement process, they are distributed under a Notice of Funding Opportunity. Typically, competitive funding is available for two types of projects: 1) Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS): Due to their innovative nature or their potential for replication, SPNS projects are likely to serve as effective models in addressing the needs of eligible persons. These projects included grants that target assistance to underserved populations. 2) New Long-Term Projects: These projects provide housing and services for eligible persons in areas of the nation that did not qualify for HOPWA formula allocations. Nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply as competitive grantees but may also serve as a project sponsor (subrecipient) under any competitive or formula grant.

There are two basic elements of HOPWA eligibility: family has a least one person living with HIV/AIDS. This includes families where the only eligible person is a minor. Medical verification of status is required; and total household income is less than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), as defined by HUD. A person living with HIV/AIDS or a family member regardless of income is eligible to receive HOPWA housing information services. Any person living in proximity to a community residence is eligible to participate in that residence's community outreach and educational activities regarding HIV/AIDS.

HOPWA program activities focus on establishing stable housing, reducing risk of homelessness, and improving access to healthcare and supportive services. Housing assistance is provided in the form of permanent housing which includes tenant-based (scattered site) and facility-based (subsidized payment on a specific building, unit, or project) rental assistance, or through transitional or short-term housing assistance. Grantees and project sponsors may use HOPWA funds to provide for any of the following eligible activities, subject to certain standards and limitations provided in the regulations: 1) acquisition, rehabilitation, conversion, lease, and repair of facilities to provide housing and services; (2) new construction (for single room occupancy (SRO) dwellings and community residences only); (3) operating costs for housing facilities, including maintenance, security, operation, insurance, utilities, furnishings, equipment, supplies, and other incidental costs; (4) tenant-based rental assistance, including assistance for shared housing arrangements; (5) short-term rent, mortgage, and utility payments to prevent homelessness; (6) permanent housing placement to assist beneficiaries with security deposits, first month's rent and utility hook-up costs, and other housing placement costs; (7) housing information services including, but not limited to, counseling, information, and referral services to assist eligible individuals and their families to locate, acquire, finance, and maintain housing; (8) resource identification to establish, coordinate and develop housing assistance resources; (9) supportive services including case management, mental health services, drug and alcohol abuse treatment and counseling, day care, nutritional services, transportation, employment training, benefits counseling, etc.; (10) technical assistance in establishing and operating a community residence, including planning and other pre-development or pre-construction expenses; and (11) administrative costs for general management, oversight, coordination, evaluation and reporting on eligible activities (generally grantees cannot use more than three percent of the grant amount for their administrative expenses and project sponsors can use not more than seven percent of their grant award).

Grant funds should be expended in a timely manner or may be subject to deobligation. Grant funding should be expended within a three-year period from the date of the executed grant agreement. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: grant agreement and letter. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Not less than once every 90 calendar days, starting from the Period of Performance start date, the grantee must draw down Grant funds for allowable costs in accordance with 2 CFR 200.305 and 200.403 and reconcile its accounting records with the financial data reported to HUD through the Integrated Disbursement and Information System ("IDIS") in accordance with 2 CFR 200.302 and 200.303. A request by the Grantee to draw down Grant Funds under any payment system constitutes a representation by the Grantee that it and all participating parties are in compliance with this Grant Agreement.

Contact Headquarters or region location, as appropriate, for pre-application coordination details.

(1) Formula entitlement grants: Each jurisdiction should submit its consolidated/annual action plan to HUD at least 45 days before the start of its program year. In no event will HUD accept a submission earlier than November 15 or later than August 16 of the federal fiscal year for which the grant funds are appropriated. The plan will be deemed approved 45 days after HUD receives the plan, unless before that date HUD has notified the jurisdiction that the plan is disapproved. If the plan is disapproved, the jurisdiction may revise or resubmit a plan within 45 days after the first notification of disapproval. HUD must respond to approve or disapprove the plan within 30 days of receiving the revisions or resubmission. (2) Competitive renewal/replacement grants: HUD publishes a renewal/replace Notice for eligible expiring permanent supportive housing grants annually. Eligible applicants are named in the Notice and must complete all submission requirement outlined in the Notice to receive funding. (3) Competitive grants awarded under a NOFO process: All application submission requirements are outlined in the NOFO. All submitted applications must include all required forms and narrative responses to the rating factors as described in the funding announcement.

For formula entitlement grants, the grantee's Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan are reviewed according to criteria set forth in 24 CFR 91. For competitive grants, applications are reviewed according to requirements set forth in the renewal/replacement Notice (for expiring permanent supportive housing grants) or NOFO rating factors (for new competitive grants).

For formula entitlement grants, the grantee's Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan are reviewed according to criteria set forth in 24 CFR 91. For competitive grants, applications are reviewed according to requirements set forth in the renewal/replacement Notice (for expiring permanent supportive housing grants) or NOFO rating factors (for new competitive grants).

HUD issues an annual Notice that solicits applications for expiring permanent supportive housing renewal or replacement grant applications. Application deadlines vary during the fiscal year. The Performance Grant Agreement establishes a three-year period of performance that starts when the grant agreement is signed and ends three years thereafter. If a HOPWA grant is nearing expiration and grant funds remain unexpended, grantees may request and receive HUD approval for a twelve-month grant extension from the end of the period of performance indicated in the executed Performance Grant Agreement.

Disapproved Consolidated Plans may be resubmitted in accordance with 24 CFR 91.500. Debriefings for competitive applicants are available. Following the evaluation process, HUD will notify successful applicants of their selection for funding. HUD will also notify other applicants, whose applications were received by the deadline, but have not been chosen for award. For a period of at least 120 days, beginning 30 days after the public announcement of awards under the NOFO, HUD will provide a debriefing related to their application to requesting applicants. Information provided during a debriefing may include the final score the applicant received for each rating factor, final evaluator comments for each rating factor, and the final assessment indicating the basis upon which funding was approved or denied.