NAHC E-Newsletter: Spring 2005

The E-Newsletter of the National AIDS Housing Coalition Spring 2005 Edition

Contents:

1. NAHC Hosts Congressional Staff Briefing on AIDS Housing

2. FY2005 SuperNOFA Announces HOPWA Competitive Grant Funding

3. Proposed HOPWA Budget Cuts Have Real-World Significance

4. One-Hundred Members of the House of Representatives Sign HOPWA Letter

5. NY AIDS Housing Consumers and NAHC Members Visit Capitol Hill In Support of HOPWA Funding

6. Deadline for Abstracts for the Housing Track at the U.S. Conference on AIDS: April 8

7. Join NAHC!

1. NAHC Hosts Congressional Staff Briefing on AIDS Housing

On Friday, March 18, The National AIDS Housing Coalition hosted a Congressional Staff Briefing on AIDS Housing in the Dirksen Senate Building. The briefing was sponsored by Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO) and Senator Jack Reed (D-RI). NAHC’s Board of Directors, staff, and members ran the event which included a buffet lunch, provided by the Southern AIDS Coalition. The briefing’s purpose was to disseminate information about AIDS Housing in communities nationwide, reinforce the importance of the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program, and encourage attendees to bring this information back to policymakers.

The briefing began with a presentation about the history of HIV/AIDS housing in the United States and a short video featuring consumers for whom HOPWA is a critical resource. Two AIDS Housing consumers from the Baltimore, MD area graciously spoke about how the HOPWA program was and is important to their health and lives. The briefing ended with a question and answer period.

Click here to view NAHC's PowerPoint Presentation on the history of HIV/AIDS Housing in the United States. (If your computer doesn't have MS PowerPoint, click here to download a free PowerPoint Viewer.)

2. FY2005 SuperNOFA Announces HOPWA Competitive Grant Funding

On March 21, HUD published the FY2005 SuperNOFA (Notice of Funding Availability) in the Federal Register (vol. 70, no. 53) including the FY2005 funding announcement for the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program. The availability of $36.977 million is announced, including $27.925 million for FY2005 and $9.052 million carried over from FY2004. The application deadline is May 27, 2005.

Funds are available to support three types of competitive grants: 1) renewals of expiring HOPWA projects providing permanent supportive housing activities; 2) new awards for permanent supportive housing activities by States and units of general local government that are not eligible for HOPWA formula funding; and 3) Special Projects of National Significance demonstration projects proposing new housing service delivery models or housing project activities that will move HOPWA clients to permanent housing assistance at the end of the grant period. The NOFA does not include matching requirements but does include priorities for projects that leverage non-HOPWA resources.

Click here to view the SuperNOFA.

Please note: This year’s applications MUST submitted electronically. You can contact the electronic submission help desk at support@grants.gov or at 800-518-GRANTS.

3. Proposed HOPWA Budget Cuts Have Real-World Significance

The proposed FY2006 budget submitted to Congress slashes funding to the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program (HOPWA) to pre-2001 funding levels despite growing numbers of people with AIDS and their families in need of housing assistance in communities across the country. The crippling $14 million cut would further exacerbate the housing crises in our communities since it would come on top of the $13 million cut in the FY 2005 Appropriations. The current year enacted appropriation to HOPWA is $282 million. The proposed cut would reduce funding in FY 2006 to $268 million. The impact of reduced funding on currently funded areas would be compounded because the number of jurisdictions eligible for formula funding will expand by two, to 124.

NAHC recommends that HOPWA be funded at $385 million for FY 2006. Click here to read NAHC's 2006 Need Paper.

NAHC is working with HOPWA grantees across the country to document the impact of the proposed cut on communities nationwide. Here are a few examples::

A Northeastern city reports that if HOPWA is funded at the proposed level, they will face a loss of 25 per diem shelter beds, four scattered site housing sites for families, $47,000 in rental subsidies, and 3.5 part-time outreach, case-management, and advocate positions.
A Southern state will need to reduce the number of individuals with short-term rental, mortgage and utility assistance by 75 people in 2006. Fifteen people will no longer receive supportive services through HOPWA and three will lose their long-term rental assistance.
A city in the Southwest reports that the cut will force them to limit housing assistance to 120 individuals with HIV/AIDS (down from 132 in 2005) and limit supportive services to 363 individuals (down from 394 in 2005). The grantee may have to completely eliminate transportation assistance, a critical program for people living with HIV/AIDS who need access to health-care and other services.

4. One-Hundred Members of the House of Representatives Sign HOPWA Letter

Last week, 100 members of the House of Representatives co-signed a letter to the Appropriations Committee asking for a funding level of $385 million for the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program for FY 2006. HOPWA, which has enjoyed wide bipartisan support, is the only federal housing program that specifically provides cities and states hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic with the resources to address the housing crisis facing people living with AIDS.

The letter was circulated by Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-8^th NY), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-18^th FL), and Joseph Crowley (D-7^th NY).

Please thank those Legislators who signed this important letter. Click here to view the House HOPWA Letter in its entirety. A list of the Representatives who co-signed the letter can be found on the final page.

5. NY AIDS Housing Consumers and NAHC Members Visit Capitol Hill in Support of HOPWA Funding

NAHC’s board of directors, members and friends descended upon Capitol Hill on March 16 - 18 for a round of legislative visits with the offices of members of the Senate and House Subcommittees on Housing Appropriations. NAHC met with housing staffers from 21 offices to discuss the importance of funding the HOPWA program and requesting the support of policymakers.

The New York City AIDS Housing Network (www.nycahn.org) worked with NAHC to arrange additional special visits with the offices of ten New York Representatives. Over 50 AIDS Housing consumers traveled from Yonkers, Staten Island and Brooklyn, New York to meet with Hill Staffers to demand support for HOPWA funding.

6. Deadline for Abstracts for the Housing Track at the U.S. Conference on AIDS: April 8^th

NAHC is coordinating a Housing Track for workshops and roundtable discussions at the United States Conference on AIDS. USCA is taking place in Houston, Texas from September 29 through October 2. Abstracts for all tracks, including Housing, are due on April 8. Please visit the National Minority AIDS Council's USCA page for more information on submitting an abstract and registering for the conference.

7. Join NAHC!

NAHC is currently renewing and accepting new memberships. As a member, you will help shape the future of AIDS housing in America. Visit our membership page for more information.

Your feedback is important; please contact us with questions or comments at nahc@nationalaidshousing.org.