Overview of the HOPWA Program: The Columbia CARES HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS) program is to address the housing needs for low-income person living with HIV/AIDS and their families. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) manages the HOPWA program. The HOPWA program is the only federal program dedicated to address the housing needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families. If eligible, Columbia CARES can assist program participants with a variety of services including; Housing Information Services, Resource Identification, Permanent Housing Placement (PHP), Short-term Rent, Mortgage, and Utility assistance (STRMU); Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA), and Supportive Services including transportation and nutrition assistance.
Contact a Columbia CARES HOPWA case manager for more information and eligibility requirements for each of the Columbia CARES HOPWA services below. You may call Mandy Barry at 800.961.5332 ext 11, 931.982.3241 (CARES mobile-text or call) or email mandybarry@columbiacares.org.
Housing Information Services
These services are dedicated to helping persons living with HIV disease and their families to identify, locate, and acquire housing. This may also include fair housing counseling/resources for eligible persons who may encounter discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, familial status, or handicap/disability.
Resource Identification
These activities establish, coordinate, and develop housing assistance resources for eligible households (including preliminary research and expenditures necessary to determine the feasibility of specific housing-related initiatives).
Permanent Housing Placement (PHP)
PHP services may be used to help eligible persons establish a new residence where ongoing occupancy is expected to continue. Eligible activities may include: application fees, credit check expenses, first month's rent, security deposit (not to exceed two months rent, or a utility deposit. Upon leaving a residence, any deposit paid by the Columbia CARES PHP program should be returned to Columbia CARES. Ineligible PHP expenses include moving costs, standard furnishings, housekeeping, or household supplies.
Short-Term Rent, Mortgage and Utility (STRMU) Assistance and Supportive Services
STRMU assistance provides a short-term, stabilizing intervention to currently housed HOPWA-eligible households that are not receiving ongoing rental assistance and are experiencing a financial crisis as a result of their HIV disease health condition or a change in their economic circumstances. STRMU assistance is a preventative housing service intended to reduce the risk of becoming homeless. There are certain parameters which apply to STRMU that the HOPWA case manager can explain, such as; how long is short-term, what is fair-market rent, can I receive both rent and utility assistance?
Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA)
TBRA provides a subsidy to HOPWA eligible households in a unit of their choice. This is calculated utilizing a formula based on the county which you reside. The design of TBRA fosters community integration while maximizing household choice, independence, and anonymity. HOPWA TBRA is portable, which means that a client may move into a different unit and continue receiving assistance, provided that the new unit is within the Columbia CARES service area and meets the program criteria. Our HOPWA case manager can answer all your questions.
Supportive Services
Supportive Services are important tools in helping our clients to stabilize living situations and help address care needs of persons living with HIV disease. Columbia CARES utilizes eligible activities, Transportation and Nutrition assistance. Transportation is in the form of a gas card. Eligible recipients are required to provide receipts documenting appropriate use of the service. Nutrition assistance is also in the form of a grocer card/voucher. As with Transportation, receipts are required to document appropriate use of the service.
IMPORTANT: If you don't understand any part of the application or its process Columbia CARES will help you complete the application and answer your questions.
Contact a Columbia CARES HOPWA case manager for more information and eligibility requirements for each of the Columbia CARES HOPWA services below. You may call Mandy Barry at 800.961.5332 ext 11, 931.982.3241 (CARES mobile-text or call) or email mandybarry@columbiacares.org.
Housing Information Services
These services are dedicated to helping persons living with HIV disease and their families to identify, locate, and acquire housing. This may also include fair housing counseling/resources for eligible persons who may encounter discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, familial status, or handicap/disability.
Resource Identification
These activities establish, coordinate, and develop housing assistance resources for eligible households (including preliminary research and expenditures necessary to determine the feasibility of specific housing-related initiatives).
Permanent Housing Placement (PHP)
PHP services may be used to help eligible persons establish a new residence where ongoing occupancy is expected to continue. Eligible activities may include: application fees, credit check expenses, first month's rent, security deposit (not to exceed two months rent, or a utility deposit. Upon leaving a residence, any deposit paid by the Columbia CARES PHP program should be returned to Columbia CARES. Ineligible PHP expenses include moving costs, standard furnishings, housekeeping, or household supplies.
Short-Term Rent, Mortgage and Utility (STRMU) Assistance and Supportive Services
STRMU assistance provides a short-term, stabilizing intervention to currently housed HOPWA-eligible households that are not receiving ongoing rental assistance and are experiencing a financial crisis as a result of their HIV disease health condition or a change in their economic circumstances. STRMU assistance is a preventative housing service intended to reduce the risk of becoming homeless. There are certain parameters which apply to STRMU that the HOPWA case manager can explain, such as; how long is short-term, what is fair-market rent, can I receive both rent and utility assistance?
Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA)
TBRA provides a subsidy to HOPWA eligible households in a unit of their choice. This is calculated utilizing a formula based on the county which you reside. The design of TBRA fosters community integration while maximizing household choice, independence, and anonymity. HOPWA TBRA is portable, which means that a client may move into a different unit and continue receiving assistance, provided that the new unit is within the Columbia CARES service area and meets the program criteria. Our HOPWA case manager can answer all your questions.
Supportive Services
Supportive Services are important tools in helping our clients to stabilize living situations and help address care needs of persons living with HIV disease. Columbia CARES utilizes eligible activities, Transportation and Nutrition assistance. Transportation is in the form of a gas card. Eligible recipients are required to provide receipts documenting appropriate use of the service. Nutrition assistance is also in the form of a grocer card/voucher. As with Transportation, receipts are required to document appropriate use of the service.
IMPORTANT: If you don't understand any part of the application or its process Columbia CARES will help you complete the application and answer your questions.