What Is the Housing Assistance Program?

About the program: The Housing Assistance Program (HAP) is a short-term rental assistance program administered by the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. The program helps people disabled by HIV/AIDS avoid homelessness during periods of illness or financial distress by providing short-term rental assistance directly to the recipients' landlords. The program provides up to five payments per individual client in a 12 month period.

Current Status: HAP is currently serving a capacity number of clients and therefore is closed to NEW applicants. Any client who received a HAP payment in 2007 may reapply for rental assistance. The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) will continue to monitor HAP’s capacity and, through our Statewide Advocacy Network, will keep members updated on the program’s status. To join AFC’s Advocacy Network and receive email alerts on this and other AIDS-related issues, click here.

Eligibility requirements: To be eligible for a HAP subsidy, individuals must meet all of the following criteria:

• Have a documented income that is less than 50% of the Area Median Income. Clients with no income will not be eligible for HAP. This is short term, needs based assistance and the client must be able to pay bills on their own for the other 7 months of the year when they do not get HAP assistance.
• Have a monthly income that is higher than their monthly rent.
• Have a disability due to HIV/ AIDS, and
• Have a rent at or below HUD’s Fair Market Rent levels, and
• Have a current and valid written lease agreement signed by both the client and landlord, or a mortgage statement/ payment coupon. Leases, agreements, and mortgage documents must be in the client’s name, and
• For IRS reporting, the landlord / management company must provide a W9 form with the Tax ID, FEIN, or social security number to AFC, and
• Reside in the City of Chicago or eligible counties: Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, McHenry or Will County, and
• Have been assigned to an Ryan White, DRS, PACPI, or Corrections case manager by AFC and be enrolled in the AFC client registry.
  

How to apply: Although HAP is currently closed to new applicants, reapplications for HAP can be submitted through your HIV case manager. If you do not have a case manager, please contact one of AFC's Program Associates at (312) 922-2322 to receive a case management referral and learn about the financial assistance options that are currently OPEN for NEW clients. Some of those OPEN options are IDHS Homeless Prevention Funds, HOPWA Housing Stability and Ryan White Emergency Financial Assistance. Clients must be reviewed for eligibility based on the guidelines as determined by the funding streams.

Partner agencies: HAP is federally funded by the HOPWA program. AFC centrally administers HAP in metropolitan Chicago under contract by CDPH. Housing Advocates at six partner agencies— Agape Missions Inc (AMI), Better Existence with HIV (BEHIV), Vital Bridges, Pilsen Wellness Center, New Phoenix Assistance Center and Heartland Human Care Services—assist AFC to implement the program consistently across the region.

More information: For information on rent subsidies, please contact Ric Martel at (312) 334-0949.

Partner Agencies:
Agape Missions, Inc.

Better Existence with HIV

Vital Bridges

Heartland Human Care Services