HUD Evaluates National HOPWA Program

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A report released by HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research, National Evaluation of the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program (HOPWA), demonstrates the need for the program, especially among extremely low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS. The report describes the importance of HOPWA's flexibility in helping thousands of Americans with HIV/AIDS who face severe challenges in meeting personal, medical, and housing costs.

HOPWA funds are allocated using a need-based formula to more than 100 grantees from 71 metropolitan areas and 34 States. In addition, 10 percent of HOPWA funds are set aside annually for competition. Most of the competitive funds are awarded to special projects of national significance that serve as models due to their innovative nature or potential for replication. Grantees are encouraged to develop comprehensive communitywide strategies and to form partnerships with area nonprofit organizations to create a spectrum of assistance for this population. HOPWA housing assistance is designed to help eligible persons retain or gain access to appropriate housing where they can maintain complex medication regimens and address HIV/AIDS-related problems. Using the fiscal year 1999 appropriation of $225 million, HOPWA grantees provided housing assistance to 51,875 people, including family members residing with persons living with HIV/AIDS.

The report examines how the HOPWA program meets the housing needs of persons with HIV/AIDS and possible barriers to addressing those needs. It explores whether the program is coordinated with healthcare and supportive services as part of a community strategy. The evaluation also looks at the innovative ideas or techniques used by special projects of national significance and how they can be applied to other programs.

The report's major findings include the following:

• The HOPWA program predominantly serves extremely low-income and very low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS, including many people with additional burdens. Fifty-four percent of the people receiving assistance from the program have extremely low incomes, and another 27 percent have very low incomes.

• The program's flexibility, including a wide range of eligible activities, helps meet the clients' housing needs and preferences. Grantees spend 68 percent of their HOPWA funds on providing housing assistance, which includes direct housing subsidies, housing development costs, and housing operating expenses; 22 percent for supportive services; 7 percent for administration; and 3 percent for other expenses.

• The HOPWA program appears to enhance a client's housing stability. Of those persons receiving permanent housing assistance funded through HOPWA, less than 3 percent became homeless once the assistance ended.

• Clients report a high level of satisfaction with the housing they receive.

• Most grantees and housing assistance providers report some degree of coordination with the Ryan White CARE Act and Continuum of Care systems.

• Most HOPWA housing assistance providers develop local partnerships to make a broad range of supportive services available.

• On average, each dollar used for HOPWA housing assistance is matched by a dollar of housing assistance from other government and private sources.

• Collaboration is a key component of successful project implementation.

• Special projects of national significance provide effective models for replication. After introducing the AIDS epidemic and the HOPWA program, the report describes the characteristics of formula grantees and housing assistance providers and the roles they play in implementing HOPWA programs. It also describes the extent to which HOPWA funds are used for housing, supportive services, and administrative expenses.

Research data include information on the characteristics of HOPWA clients and the types of assistance that they receive. National Evaluation also examines client views on the performance of the program and its impact. The report highlights six special projects of national significance, describing the programs' successes, lessons learned, and potential for replication.

Appendixes include lists of research questions, methodology, site visit protocol and discussion guide, and grantee and provider views and recommendations.

National Evaluation of the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program (HOPWA) is available from HUD USER for $5. Use the order form.