People living with HIV or AIDS can face unique threats to their housing because of changes in their health condition or their household’s economic situation, such as the loss of a job. This is why the federal government has, for more than three decades, provided housing assistance focused on people living with AIDS or HIV through the HOPWA program.
On Monday, the city announced it is providing $1.4 million to help people with short-term rent, mortgage, and utility bills using federal HOPWA funds. The Oakland LGBTQ Community Center will administer the program for two years.
The Oakland LGBTQ Center is currently taking applications for short-term rental, mortgage, and utility assistance by phone 510-882-2286.
Oakland officials said the goal is to expand access to culturally competent assistance by partnering with a deeply rooted and trusted community group.
Mayor Barbara Lee, who co-founded the HIV/AIDS Caucus when she was a member of Congress, said in a press release, “This partnership reflects our commitment to preventing homelessness before it starts.” She thanked the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development for the grant.
Oakland’s interim human services director, Lea Lakes, said the funds will help prevent homelessness.
Roughly 5,490 Oakland residents are homeless, according to the most recent count conducted in 2024. Two percent, or 110, are living with HIV or AIDS, according to county data.
In past years, Oakland has used HOPWA money to assist thousands of people. The latest $1.4 million grant is meant to help people pay their mortgages, rent, or utility bills while navigating a short-term crisis. According to a 2024 city report, Oakland used a recent round of housing assistance to help 100 households make short-term payments on rent, mortgage, or utility bills.
The LGBTQ Center will handle client intake, screen for eligibility, distribute short-term assistance funds, and connect people with wraparound services like mental health support and long-term housing planning.
“At a time when housing costs and economic pressures continue to rise, expanded access to short-term rent, mortgage, and utility assistance is key,” Joe Hawkins, the center’s executive director, said in a press statement.
Oakland’s selection of the LGBTQ Center to administer the short-term mortgage, rent, and utility assistance program comes a year after a scathing report by the city auditor found that a previous HOPWA grant was squandered by the AIDS Project of the East Bay. The city had entered into an agreement with the AIDS Project to administer HOPWA programs, but the Oakland-based nonprofit failed to deliver on its promises. The auditor found that the nonprofit was unreachable by phone and its offices were closed and unstaffed. A representative of the group acknowledged that no clients had been served over the span of a year.
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