Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
San Francisco Examiner - July 6, 2006
Dena Levitz, dlevitz@dcexaminer.com
The $467,000 grant was awarded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development for a program it created in 1992 called HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS).
Montgomery County's most recent cut of the pie will assist 55 residents.
"It works like a voucher that goes directly from the county to the landlord and covers most of their rent," said Nancy Walsh, a grant writer with the city of Gaithersburg who helps administer the program locally. "So it can help one person, or it can in many cases help the person's whole family."
To qualify for assistance, patients must prove they have been diagnosed with either HIV or AIDS and that they are low-income residents of Montgomery County.
Walsh said Montgomery County used to be lumped in with the District when it came time for federal authorities to determine funding levels. Two years ago, however, HUD redrew its metropolitan area borders, and Montgomery became grouped in with the much smaller Frederick County.
Walsh said that before the change Montgomery received significantly larger sums for AIDS housing than it does now, so D.C. officials have been handing over extra dollars to make up for the gap.
For instance, this time, on top of the nearly half-million award, Montgomery will receive $195,000 from the District's funds for the program, she said.
Those residents benefiting from the housing assistance program are spread throughout Montgomery County. As long as they continue to meet the program specifications, they can keep receiving aid, Walsh said.
"That's actually one of the challenges," she said. "This program was first envisioned as a more short-term form of assistance ... but as more medical advancements are made, and as more people are living longer with AIDS they still need homes."
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