Washington, D.C.– Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today congratulated the Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department for receiving a new $1.3 million federal grant to provide housing assistance for families and individuals living with HIV or AIDS. The grant will be shared with partners at the City of Tucson and the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF) to provide housing assistance to approximately 50 eligible recipients.

The money comes from the Department of Housing and Urban Development through its Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program. The county, city and Foundation have partnered to implement the program in Tucson since 1999. The newly announced three-year grant will formally be disbursed Jan. 1, when the existing three-year grant runs out.

Under the terms of the program, aid recipients pay 30 percent of their income on housing and utilities, and HOPWA funds pay the remainder. SAAF owns nine housing units that participate in the program, and the city operates approximately 40 units that are managed through the traditional Section 8 housing assistance program but paid for with HOPWA funding. The program includes comprehensive case management provided by SAAF through which caseworkers assist residents with accessing and managing appropriate medical care, Department of Economic Security benefits, substance abuse treatment (when necessary) and other social and economic opportunities.

“This is an important service for the people of Southern Arizona living with HIV and AIDS, and I thanks the partners involved for bringing this assistance to those in need,” Grijalva said. “Living with these diseases is difficult, and those who need financial help coping with the many challenges they present are grateful for these organizations’ hard work.”

For more information, contact Wendell Hicks of SAAF at (520) 628-7223, the Pima County development department at (520) 243-6777 or the City of Tucson housing department at (520) 791-4605.