Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA)

The City of Miami is Local Administrator of HOPWA Funds. Pursuant to federal regulations implementing the AIDS Housing Opportunity Act of 1990, the City of Miami, as the municipality with the largest population, serves as the grantee for HOPWA funds, on behalf of the Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL Metropolitan Division covering Miami-Dade County (Miami-Dade EMD) of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area (EMSA). The HOPWA Program administered by the City of Miami serves all residents of Miami-Dade County. The City works with all levels of government, service providers, consumers and the private sector in developing resources and services, particularly housing and social services for persons living with HIV/AIDS (PWAs). 

Persons who are low-income (80% of median income as established by U.S. HUD) and have received an AIDS diagnosis are eligible for assistance under HOPWA. 

The Miami-Dade HIV/AIDS Partnership, through its Housing Committee, serves in an advisory capacity to the City Commission with regard to HOPWA formula grant funds awarded to the City on behalf of the Miami-Dade EMD. Specifically, the City of Miami looks to the Partnership's Housing Committee for community input and advice concerning resource allocation, HOPWA program policies, and coordination of efforts to address housing needs with care and treatment services and activities directed at persons living with HIV/AIDS. The City of Miami is formally represented on the Partnership and its Housing Committee.

Local HOPWA funds are directed towards assisting eligible clients with housing designed to prevent homelessness, including emergency short-term rental, mortgage and utility assistance, long-term rental assistance, project-based rental assistance, operating assistance for project-based housing and community residences; and, when funds allow, capital funding for rehabilitation or new construction (new construction limited to singe-room occupancy units and community residences). HOPWA funds also are directed towards housing information, referral and advocacy services. 

Consistent with shifts in U.S. HUD policy and local policy recommended by the Housing Committee of the Miami-Dade HIV/AIDS Partnership and adopted by the City of Miami, HOPWA funds are directed at housing and housing-related services only due to the limited resources available to meet the housing needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS in the Miami-Dade EMD. To ensure that recipients receive necessary supportive services to maintain housing stability, all recipients of HOPWA assistance must receive case management services through coordination with Ryan White-funded programs or other community-based programs. 

Limitations on Administrative Costs

Under federal regulations governing HOPWA, administrative costs for the grantee and project sponsors, are not to exceed three percent (3%) of the annual HOPWA allocation to administer the program locally, including the cost of general management, oversight, coordination, program evaluation, and reporting on all HOPWA funded services; and seven percent (7%) for administrative costs incurred as part of the delivery of HOPWA Services.