Atlanta Organizations Get $5 Million in HUD Grants to House People Living with HIV/AIDS

Two Atlanta nonprofits won a combined $5 million in additional federal funding Friday to house people living with HIV and AIDS.

AID Atlanta and Positive Impact Health Centers each received $2.5 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), HUD Deputy Assistant Secretary Jemine Bryon announced at a City Hall press conference. Both groups provide housing and supportive services to people living with HIV and AIDS, as well as HIV testing and other health services.

According to Bryon, the three-year Housing Interventions to End the HIV Epidemic (HINT) grants will enable the two groups to provide additional emergency rental assistance and support services to individuals and families affected by HIV and AIDS – and help the city address the ongoing HIV epidemic “by elevating housing as an effective structural intervention.”

Atlanta ranks third in the nation for new HIV infections, Joey Helton, Positive Impact’s chief operating officer, said at last week’s press conference. “And unfortunately, of the 12,000 patients we serve, over two-thirds experience some form of housing instability,” he said. “To put it bluntly, 70 percent of our patients report unstable housing conditions. That’s a staggering number.”

“Housing is a health service,” Helton continued. “Without stable housing, patients struggle to adhere to HIV treatment, fail to prioritize their mental health, and fail to eat properly. This often leads to patients dropping out of care, which intensifies the HIV epidemic.”

“At HUD, we believe we cannot end the HIV epidemic without addressing homelessness and housing instability for populations most affected by HIV,” said Rita Harcrow, director of HUD’s Office of HIV/AIDS Housing. The $5 million in HINT grants to AID Atlanta and Positive Impact represent nearly 20 percent of HUD’s $26 million in HINT funding nationally, underscoring the severity of the HIV epidemic in Atlanta and the Southeast.

HUD’s Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) Program’s competitive HINT grants represent a major increase in funding for local HIV/AIDS nonprofits.

To put the additional $2.5 million grant into perspective, AID Atlanta typically receives about $1.9 million a year in HOPWA funding from the city of Atlanta for short-term rental and mortgage assistance, as well as long-term subsidized housing and case management services for people living with HIV and AIDS, said the organization’s executive director, Nicole Roebuck. Atlanta Civic Circle in an email.

The $2.5 million HINT grant is a one-time, three-year grant and 75 percent of the funds must be used to provide housing assistance, Roebuck said.

Last year, AID Atlanta helped 247 households through its regular HOPWA funding, which included rental subsidies for 60 individuals or families, Roebuck said. “The average subsidy has increased from $650 to about $950 per month, due to the astronomical rent increases since 2021,” she added.

The $2.5 million in HINT funding will subsidize rent for an additional 72 clients and provide case management services, mental health care, workforce development training and credit repair and homeownership workshops “to increase (clients’) ability to maintain and afford permanent housing after the three years,” Roebuck said.