Stable housing is an essential part of managing your HIV. It is much easier to stick to a treatment regimen if medications, many of which must be refrigerated, are stored in the same place each day. Plus, you can take the best care of yourself if you have a roof over your head.
People living with HIV/AIDS are at higher risk for losing their housing due to increased medical costs and a decreased ability to work. The federal government addressed this growing problem by signing the Ryan White Care Act of 1990 and administering the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program.
If housing is an issue for you, many organizations and resources are available right here in Austin.
HIV/AIDS Housing Resources:
- AIDS Services of Austin – Offers housing case management – Right At Home
- Project Transitions – Provides hospice and housing
- Community Action – Provides homelessness prevention services, including HOPWA, for eligible persons living in Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Llano, and Williamson counties.
Low Income Housing Resources:
- Travis County Housing Authority – Government funded agency that provides low income housing
- CARITAS – Non-profit organization that provides low income housing, as well as food, employment, and education
- Front Steps – Provides transitional and permanent housing for Austin’s homeless
- Austin Resource Center for the Homeless – Managed by Front Steps, The ARCH is the first point of entry into the homeless services system
- LifeWorks – Transitions youth and families from crisis to safety and success