$5M in grants will help Atlantans with HIV/AIDS better afford housing

Two nonprofits in Georgia, AID Atlanta and Positive Impact Health Centers, each claimed $2.5 million in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help people living with HIV and AIDS afford housing.

Nicole Roebuck, executive director of AID Atlanta, said the grant will fund expansion of their tenant-based rental assistance program or T-BRA.

"Housing is health care," she said. "Whether you are living with HIV or living with other chronic diseases, if you don't have the ability to be in a stable, safe, decent housing situation, it's going to be hard for you to concentrate on getting to the doctor or taking your medication, you know, showing up for your medical care appointments."

But inflation and economic losses resulting from the pandemic resulted in the national average of rent to income (RTI) to reach 30% for the first time in more than 20 years, according to a study published in January 2023.

T-BRA stipends no longer cover as much of the monthly cost.

"They would pay maybe $200 towards the $800 and something dollars a month rent," Roebuck said. "Well, now that rent is more like $1,500 and we're paying upwards of $1,000 in terms of a subsidy."

Funding these T-BRA subsidies is an important part of comprehensive services that include medical care, such as HIV testing and other health care services, Roebuck said. 

Housing is crucial to people's ability to maintain their mental health, she said. The stability of knowing where you can sleep at night helps people focus on physical wellness. 

Roebuck said challenges their clients face include paying for medication to treat HIV and AIDS that can cost as much as $2,000 a month.