If you are living with HIV or AIDS in Florida and need help paying for a place to live, the main resource is the federal Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS program, known as HOPWA. It is the only federal program built specifically around the housing needs of people with HIV, and in Florida it is delivered through a network of local providers rather than a single statewide office. The fastest way to reach the provider for your county is to call the Florida HIV/AIDS Hotline at 800-352-2437. To qualify for housing assistance for HIV patients in Florida, you need an HIV or AIDS diagnosis and a household income at or below 80% of your area’s median income.1HUD Exchange. HOPWA Eligibility Requirements
Who Qualifies
Two things decide eligibility: a medical diagnosis of HIV or AIDS, and household income at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI) for your county.1HUD Exchange. HOPWA Eligibility Requirements The dollar figure that equals 80% of AMI is set by HUD and recalculated each year, and it varies by county. A household that qualifies in one Florida county may not qualify in another, so the current limit for your area is a question for your local provider.
You also need to live inside the service area of the provider you apply to. Family members in your household can be covered by the assistance even if they don’t have an HIV diagnosis themselves. At intake, a case manager verifies your diagnosis, your income, and your residency, so plan to bring documentation of all three.
What HOPWA Actually Pays For
HOPWA is not a single benefit. It funds several different kinds of housing help, and not every local provider offers every type.2eCFR. 24 CFR 574.300 – Eligible Activities Ask the case manager which options exist where you live.
Short-Term Rent, Mortgage, and Utility Assistance
Short-Term Rent, Mortgage, and Utility assistance, usually called STRMU, is emergency help to keep you in the home you already have during a financial crisis. It can go toward rent, a mortgage payment, or past-due utilities. Federal rules cap this assistance at 21 weeks within any 52-week period.3HUD Exchange. How Is the 21-Week Period Calculated and Tracked How that window converts into monthly payments depends on the counting method your provider uses.
Tenant-Based Rental Assistance
Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) works more like an ongoing rental subsidy. You find a unit on the private market, and the program pays part of the rent directly to the landlord. The subsidy is calculated from your income and local fair market rents, and it can be renewed. Because TBRA commits funding over a longer stretch, it is the type most likely to have a waitlist.
Permanent Housing Placement
Permanent Housing Placement (PHP) covers the upfront costs of moving into a new apartment: security deposit (capped at two months’ rent), first and last month’s rent if the landlord requires them, utility deposits and hookup fees, application fees, credit check costs, and broker fees.4HUD Exchange. Getting in the Door – A Path to Permanent Housing PHP does not pay for moving trucks, movers, furniture, or household goods. It is strictly about the financial barriers to signing a lease.
Facility-Based Housing and Supportive Services
Some HOPWA money funds community residences, transitional housing, and single-room-occupancy units where residents live on-site with support services available. HOPWA can also pay for supportive services on their own, including mental health treatment, substance abuse counseling, nutritional services, and help applying for other benefits.2eCFR. 24 CFR 574.300 – Eligible Activities
How to Apply
You apply through a local provider, not through HUD or the state office in Tallahassee. The Florida Department of Health contracts with county health departments and nonprofit AIDS service organizations to run HOPWA on the ground.5Florida Department of Health. Florida State HOPWA Program Policies and Procedures
Call the Florida HIV/AIDS Hotline at 800-352-2437 to find your provider, or look up the Department of Health’s HOPWA service area maps, which list every project sponsor by county with phone numbers and addresses.6Florida Department of Health. Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS If you live in one of Florida’s larger metro areas (Duval, Orange, Hillsborough, Broward, Miami-Dade, or Palm Beach counties, among others), HOPWA funds come through a city-level program instead of the state program, and you should contact that city’s housing and community development office.7Florida Department of Health. HOPWA Service Area Maps
Bring the following to your intake appointment:
- Medical documentation of your HIV status
- Proof of income for everyone in your household
- A photo ID
- Proof you live in the provider’s service area (a utility bill or lease usually works)
The case manager will review your situation, decide which types of assistance fit, and walk you through the paperwork.
Waitlists and Funding Limits
Set expectations honestly from the start. HOPWA money is limited, and in much of Florida more people qualify than the program can serve at a given time. TBRA slots fill up and often carry waitlists that stretch for months. STRMU and PHP funds move faster because each award is short-term or one-time, but even those can run thin near the end of a grant cycle.
If you land on a waitlist, get your name on it right away and ask how the list is prioritized. Some providers move applicants who are literally homeless or facing imminent eviction to the top. While you wait, ask your case manager about other programs that can carry you in the meantime.
If You Are Denied or Your Benefits End
HOPWA providers are required to have a grievance and appeal procedure, and you have the right to use it if your application is denied or your assistance is terminated. The usual path starts with a written appeal to your case manager’s supervisor. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, you can request a formal hearing with the provider’s designated officer, typically within 30 days. From there, you can escalate the appeal in writing to the project sponsor organization that holds the HOPWA contract. Ask for a written copy of the grievance procedure at your first appointment, so you have the exact steps and deadlines on hand before you need them.
Other Programs That Help With Housing Costs
HOPWA is rarely the only piece. Two other programs often work alongside it.
Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program
Ryan White is a separate federal program, administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration, that provides medical care, medications, and support services to low-income people with HIV.8Health Resources and Services Administration. Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program It doesn’t pay rent, but it frees up money that would otherwise come out of your housing budget. The AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) covers HIV medications, and Ryan White funds can help with health insurance premiums and case management. Many AIDS service organizations administer both Ryan White and HOPWA, so your case manager can often enroll you in both at once.
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps with utility bills regardless of HIV status. In Florida it is administered by FloridaCommerce through local community action agencies.9FloridaCommerce. Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Eligibility is set at household income at or below 60% of state median income: for federal fiscal year 2026, that is $32,155 for a single person and $61,837 for a four-person household.10LIHEAP Clearinghouse. Florida State Median Income for FFY 2026 You apply through your local community action agency rather than through your HOPWA provider, and LIHEAP can be used alongside HOPWA’s short-term utility assistance when you qualify for both.
Protection From Housing Discrimination
Separate from HOPWA, the federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.) prohibits housing discrimination based on disability, and HIV is recognized as a qualifying disability under the Act.11U.S. Department of Justice. The Fair Housing Act A landlord cannot refuse to rent to you, change the terms, or evict you because of your HIV status, and housing providers must make reasonable accommodations when your disability calls for them.
If you believe you have been discriminated against because of your HIV status, you can file a complaint with HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. There are time limits, so file as soon as you can. You can file online, call 1-800-669-9777, or mail HUD Form 903.1 to your regional office.12U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Report Housing Discrimination Florida Legal Services also runs a Fair Housing initiative that can help you understand your rights and move through the complaint process (fairhousing@floridalegal.org or 407-801-4224).