Housing and HIV: HRSA and HUD Coordinate

The HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) is highlighting data on housing instability and homelessness among Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) clients, and the relationship of housing status to viral load suppression. These markers are key components of the public health response to HIV in the United States. HRSA HAB continues to partner with HUD's Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) program to provide technical assistance to community agencies serving these clients.

Unstable Housing Hinders HIV Health Outcomes 

People with HIV are at a much higher risk of being unstably housed or homeless than the general population. In 2016, 8.8% of RWHAP clients had temporary housing and 5.2% had unstable housing situations. Moreover, RWHAP data show that housing status is strongly associated with HIV viral load suppression rates: the more stable your living situation, the better you do in care.

See the webinar: Leveraging the Housing Service System through Planning and Coordination

The chart below shows trends in viral load suppression rates for RWHAP clients, by housing status. While percentages are steadily increasing among all clients, the gap for unstably housed and homeless clients persists. Among temporarily housed clients, viral suppression increased from 63.7% in 2010 to 79.0% in 2017. Among unstably housed clients, viral suppression increased from 54.8% in 2010 to 71.2% in 2017. (See more RWHAP data.)

Viral Suppression, Clients Served by RWHAP, by Housing Status, 2010–2017—U.S. and 3 Territories

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RWHAP Client HIV Care Outcomes: Viral Suppression, by Housing Status - 2017

HRSA and HUD Coordinate

HRSA's RWHAP has coordinated with federal housing programs for decades, particularly with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS) program. Among the more recent initiatives is HUD technical assistance project for communities affected by funding formula methodology changes to HOPWA. Learn more about technical assistance and training for RWHAP recipients seeking to better serve clients experiencing unstable housing at the links below. 

• HOPWA and HOPWA Technical Assistance designed to help grant recipients improve their operations to better deliver housing services to PLWH.
• Addressing HIV Care and Housing Coordination through Data Integration: Joint SPNS and HUD project with five communities participating. The Secretary’s Minority AIDS Initiative Fund (SMAIF) funds this 5-year pilot program.