Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) Project Demonstration

Grants funded under this initiative will implement one of the recommendations of the Interagency Federal Working Group on the Intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence against Women and Girls, and Gender-Related Health Disparities: to enhance federal efforts to address HIV and intimate partner violence (IPV) among homeless and marginally housed women and girls. These grants will also help further the goals and objectives of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), which calls for enhanced collaboration at the Federal, State and community level, among diverse agencies and partners to maximize efficient use...

Eligible applicants for funding under this NOFA are States, units of local government, and nonprofit organizations. Because selected applicants will receive a HOPWA grant and a Transitional Housing Assistance Program grant, eligibility under this demonstration will be limited to entities that are eligible to receive grant funding under both programs. To be eligible as a unit of local government, the applicant must be a general purpose political subdivision of a State, such as a city, county, township, town, borough, parish, or village. All State and unit of local government applications must come from an individual who has the authority to apply for and accept grant awards on behalf of the jurisdiction. Applications received from agencies or departments within a unit of local government (e.g., the City Department of Social Services) will not be considered for funding under this NOFA. HUD will view applications coming from agencies or departments within a unit of local government as having a curable deficiency due to the unique nature of the eligibility requirements for this demonstration. States and units of local government applying for funding under this NOFA are expected to provide funding to project sponsors with expertise in HIV housing and services, and sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking services. For example, the City of Somewhere may apply as the grantee and coordinate administrative functions, but it must provide funding to project sponsors to carry out project activities. Project Sponsors could include an AIDS service organization coordinating eligible housing activities with HOPWA grant funds, and a sexual assault service provider coordinating supportive service activities with Transitional Housing Assistance Program grant funds. The applicant is expected to increase coordination among community organizations to improve cross-agency planning, resource utilization, and service integration among HIV/AIDS housing providers and domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking service providers. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship organizations are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement.

William Rudy William.G.Rudy@hud.gov