Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Grant Program

The Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program administered by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) is a federally funded housing initiative designed to support low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS and their families. IHCDA, a quasi-public statewide agency established by the Indiana General Assembly in 1978, serves as the designated recipient of HOPWA funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Through this Request for Applications (RFA), IHCDA seeks to partner with qualified nonprofit organizations to serve as Project Sponsors responsible for administering housing assistance and supportive services across eligible regions of Indiana. The program reflects a broader mission to promote housing stability, reduce homelessness, and improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations. The primary objective of the HOPWA program is to ensure access to safe, affordable, and stable housing while enhancing access to HIV/AIDS care and supportive services. Funding supports a wide range of eligible activities including tenant-based rental assistance, short-term rent, mortgage, and utility assistance, supportive services, permanent housing placement, housing information services, facility-based housing operations, and resource identification initiatives. These activities are designed to address both immediate housing crises and long-term stability, with strict adherence to federal regulations such as 24 CFR Part 574 and 2 CFR Part 200. Administrative costs are capped at seven percent of total funding, and expenditures must meet federal standards for reasonableness and eligibility. Eligible applicants must be community-based nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status that demonstrate capacity to deliver housing and supportive services to individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Additional eligibility requirements include having an active Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), legal authorization to operate in Indiana, coordination with regional planning councils, and either designation as or partnership with a Non-Medical Case Management Provider. Applicants must also demonstrate financial accountability, operational capacity, and compliance with prior federal or state grant requirements. Organizations that fail to meet these criteria will not be considered for funding. Applications must be submitted electronically through the designated JotForm platform. The submission process requires completion of a detailed application along with numerous supporting documents, including proof of nonprofit status, financial statements, organizational policies, board information, staff structure, and programmatic documentation. Applicants must also provide evidence of training completion in federal financial management modules and demonstrate readiness to comply with reporting and operational requirements. Failure to include all required documentation may result in disqualification from the review process. Applications are evaluated by IHCDA’s Community Services Team based on organizational capacity, financial readiness, prior performance, and the overall quality and completeness of the submission. Particular emphasis is placed on the applicant’s ability to manage federal funds, meet compliance standards, and effectively deliver housing services. Evaluation also considers historical spending performance and outcomes reported in prior Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Reports. The review process culminates in funding recommendations presented to the IHCDA Board of Directors. The FY 2026 RFA was released on May 4, 2026, with a submission deadline of June 4, 2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Funding decisions are anticipated by June 29, 2026, with awards effective July 1, 2026 regardless of execution date. The program operates on an annual cycle, with recurring opportunities expected in subsequent fiscal years. Selected Project Sponsors must comply with ongoing reporting requirements, including biannual financial reporting and annual closeout documentation, as well as participation in required trainings and communications with IHCDA throughout the grant period.

Ensure all required documents are complete and accurate; demonstrate strong financial management capacity; highlight prior performance and compliance with federal grants; provide clear and comprehensive narrative responses