Bill > S2668

This bill amends the AIDS Housing Opportunity Act to revise how funds are distributed for the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) Program, which provides housing assistance to individuals living with HIV or AIDS. The bill clarifies that "individuals living with HIV or AIDS" includes both those with HIV who have not yet developed AIDS and those who have AIDS. It establishes a new formula for allocating 90% of the funds, prioritizing cities and states with over 2,000 individuals living with HIV or AIDS, and also considering housing costs and poverty rates. Importantly, any entity that received HOPWA funds in fiscal year 2016 will continue to be eligible for future allocations, provided they meet certain conditions and receive approval from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD will re-evaluate a grantee's eligibility at least once every 10 years and will ensure that the annual allocation for these continuing grantees does not decrease by more than 5% or increase by more than 10% compared to the previous year's share of total available funds. The bill also allows for funds to be awarded to an "alternative grantee," such as a public housing agency or a unit of local government, if the original grantee agrees in writing and HUD approves the arrangement.