The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced that it is offering up to $9.1 million to address the critical housing needs of low-income persons and families living with HIV/AIDS including homeless individuals and families. HUD’s funding notice is offered through the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program.

“These grants will allow States and local communities to forge new partnerships and develop strategies to meet the housing needs of low-income and homeless persons living with HIV/AIDs,” said Mercedes Márquez, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development. “By offering our local partners these funds, we are giving them the necessary tools to provide real hope for those who might otherwise end up on the streets without the care they need.”

HUD is making grants available to new community partnerships to develop an Integrated HIV/AIDS Housing Plan (IHHP). The IHHP is a collaborative process that will seek to improve the delivery of housing and services to low-income individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS. Applications must be submitted by August 2, 2011.

HOPWA grants support the Obama Administration’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and the Opening Doors: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. Together these initiatives address goals to: prevent and end homelessness; increase the supply of affordable housing; and increase the coordination of mainstream housing resources and other health and human services.

HUD requires prospective grantees to submit their applications online through Grants.gov. Any changes to HUD-published funding notices will be made available to the public through a Federal Register public and published on Grants.gov. Applicants are urged to sign up for Grants.gov’s notifications service to receive periodic updates or changes to this grant offering.