HOPWA Rent Subsidy Program

About the program: The Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) Rent Subsidy Program helps people disabled by HIV/AIDS avoid homelessness during periods of illness or financial distress by providing short-term rent subsidies directly to the recipients' landlords. The program has grown from providing 150 monthly subsidies in 1995 to a capacity of 590 subsidies in 2002; the HOPWA Rent Subsidy Program is the largest single resource for people living with HIV/AIDS to obtain housing assistance in the metropolitan area.

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

• Reside within the city of Chicago or the surrounding counties - Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, or Will
• Have a disability due to HIV/AIDS
• Have an income that does not exceed 50% of the median family income for their area
• Live in an apartment that does not exceed Fair Market Rent as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
• Be able to safely live independently
• Receive HIV case management services

How to apply: You can apply for the HOPWA Rent Subsidy Program 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. When calling, please specify if you live on the west, north, or south sides of the city, or if you live in one of the collar counties.

Background: The need for suitable housing has steadily increased as the numbers of people living with HIV/AIDS in the Chicago metropolitan area has grown. In response to concerns about equitable access to rent subsidies for people living with HIV/AIDS, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) conducted a competitive process in the fall of 1995 to identify an agency to plan a centrally coordinated rent subsidy program using federal HOPWA funds. The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) received the grant from CDPH to coordinate a rent subsidy program for persons with HIV/AIDS beginning July 1, 1996.

Partner agencies: AFC has partnered with four community-based HIV service organizations to implement and monitor the subsidy program. These partner agencies are AIDS Ministry of Illinois (AMI), Better Existence with HIV (BEHIV), Vital Bridges, and TIA/Chicago Connections. The partner agencies provide the subsidies and assist AFC in developing policies concerning program eligibility, determining criteria for application evaluation, and providing training to HIV case managers about the application process for their clients.

More information: For general information on rent subsidies, please contact Ric Martel at 312-922-2322.