The DSHS Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program helps eligible persons living with HIV and their households establish or maintain affordable and stable housing, reduce their risk of homelessness, and improve their access to healthcare and supportive services. The DSHS HIV Care and Medications Unit administers the State of Texas HOPWA formula grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). DSHS authorizes the following program activities:

• Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) 
  TBRA provides an ongoing and portable rental subsidy that helps households obtain or maintain permanent housing in the private rental housing market, including assistance for shared housing arrangements, until they can enroll in the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) or other affordable housing programs. Under TBRA, households select a housing unit of their choice. TBRA pays the difference between the household’s calculated monthly rent payment and the rent specified in their lease agreement. The gross rent of the proposed unit cannot exceed the lower of the rent standard or reasonable rent.
   
• Short-Term Rent, Mortgage, and Utility (STRMU)
  STRMU provides short-term rent, mortgage, and utility payments for households experiencing a financial crisis related to their HIV health condition or a change in their economic circumstances. STRMU helps prevent homelessness by enabling households to remain in their own homes.
   
• Facility-Based Housing Assistance (FBHA)
  FBHA encompasses all expenditures for or associated with supportive housing facilities, including community residences, single-room occupancy (SRO) dwellings, short-term facilities, project-based rental assistance units, master leased units, and other housing facilities approved by HUD. The DSHS HOPWA Program currently limits FBHA to Short-Term Supportive Housing (STSH) and Transitional Supportive Housing (TSH) services.
   
• Permanent Housing Placement (PHP)
  PHP helps households access, secure, and establish a permanent residence, which they will maintain either on their own or with ongoing rental assistance. Eligible PHP housing assistance costs include, but are not limited to, application fees, first and last month’s rent, and reasonable utility and security deposits required for lease approval and occupancy.
   
• Housing Case Management (HCM)
  HCM plays a vital role in HOPWA Supportive Services and can contribute to successful program outcomes for housing stability and access to care. HCM primarily concerns housing issues, including housing options, stability, and goals. The intensity or level of HCM provided to a household will depend on the household’s assessed level of need.
   
• Housing Information Services (HIS)
  HIS include, but are not limited to, counseling, information, and referral services to assist households with locating, acquiring, financing, and maintaining housing. This may also include fair housing guidance for households that have encountered discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), age, national origin, familial status, or disability.
   
• Resource Identification
  Resource Identification encompasses activities that establish, coordinate, and develop housing assistance resources for eligible households (including preliminary research and expenditures necessary to determine the feasibility of specific housing-related initiatives).

DSHS HOPWA Program Service Providers

Agencies across the state receive DSHS HOPWA Program funding. Please contact your local service provider to request housing assistance.

The DSHS HOPWA Program provides standardized program forms to assist Project Sponsors with household program enrollment and service delivery. DSHS requires Project Sponsors to use the latest versions of these forms, complete them accurately, and maintain them in each household’s record. DSHS last updated these program forms on August 1, 2025. Project Sponsors may implement them immediately, but must implement them by September 1, 2025.