Over $3.2 Million in HUD Grants Awarded to Local Housing Programs for People with HIV/AIDS

CHICAGO - Hundreds of individuals living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses in the Chicago area will now have a safe and secure place to live, thanks to new funding announced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Monday, December 22.

"This is a great day for people living with HIV/AIDS," said Mark Ishaug, executive director of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. "This new funding provides much-needed relief in the midst of Chicago's affordable housing crisis and will help alleviate some of the difficulties faced by HIV-positive individuals in finding housing and staying healthy."

The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) will serve as the lead partner for two innovative programs that received HUD grants announced on December 22 during a press conference with Mayor Daley. The first program was awarded a renewal grant of $1.28 million to provide 24 permanent housing units for people living with HIV/AIDS in the greater Roseland community. The funding will be administered through AFC in partnership with the South Side Help Center and Christian Community Health Center. The second program received $737,048 to provide 16 permanent housing units through Vital Bridges and Christian Community Health Center for homeless individuals living with HIV and other chronic illnesses as part of the Chicago Housing for Health Partnership.

In addition, AFC will also play a leadership role in a third housing initiative, under the Chicago Department of Public Health, which will provide 187 long-term rental subsidies to people living with HIV/AIDS. The initiative, which was awarded $1.2 million, is jointly funded by the Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS program and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This housing program will include a research and evaluation component to determine how long-term subsidy programs improve health outcomes.

Established in 1985 to provide central leadership in the fight against the epidemic, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) promotes sound HIV/AIDS public policy, funds HIV/AIDS prevention and care projects, and through its Service Providers Council, helps to coordinate the delivery of essential HIV/AIDS services.