The Office of HIV/AIDS Housing in HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) instituted The Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (or HOWPA) program and was established in 1990. Created in the AIDS Housing Opportunities Act, a part of the Cranston-Gonzales National Affordable Housing Act; the main purpose of this program is to provide housing assistance and related supportive services for low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families.
It also facilitates community efforts to develop comprehensive strategies to address HIV/AIDS housing need and assists communities to create housing strategies to prevent these individuals from becoming homeless or unstably housed. With improvements in drug therapies and medical care reducing the number of deaths, people are living longer with HIV/AIDS; therefore, there is an increasing demand for essential supportive services, including housing.