On April 6, the House passed, 417-8, a bill (H.R. 1776) designed to increase low- and middle-income home ownership. Prior to approving the measure, the House voted, by voice vote, to increase the authorization for the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) program from $260 million to $275 million. The amendment was sponsored by Reps. Christopher Shays (R-CT), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Joe Crowley (D-NY), and Connie Morella (R-MD). Rep. Shays argued that the increase was “the minimum level determined necessary by the HIV/AIDS community to meet the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS.” The program is currently funded at $232 million.
The HOPWA program provides grants to states and metropolitan areas with the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS to provide housing assistance to low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS. “At any given time, one-third to one-half of all people living with AIDS are either homeless or on the verge of losing their homes,” stated Rep. Morella, adding: “HOPWA gives cities and states the ability to provide community-based, cost-effective housing for those infected with HIV/AIDS.”
