Preparing for the Future

Building and properly managing housing units for HIV/AIDS disabled individuals can provide a future “annuity” for AHI clients and the agency itself. This annuity would come in the form of rental income, which can then be used to properly maintain the units and to fund critical support services such as case management, food, pharmaceuticals, specialty physicians and other like services for clients.

Over the past two decades AIDS Help has purchased 32 independent living units and built another 8 units for AIDS clients on four pieces of property owned by the agency. Funds for the construction and purchase of these units came from various grant HUD grant programs and generous contributions from members of the Key West community.

All agency owned units house SSI/SSD, AIDS-disabled persons and affected family members and are considered to be low and very low-income housing. In fact, AHI is one of the only agencies in Monroe County that provides rental units that qualify for the Section 8 Housing Voucher program.

AHI staff has been effective in obtaining grants and contracts that provide supplemental rental assistance for low-income rental property. This means that the AIDS client pays 30% of his/her adjusted income, with the remainder being covered by supplemental housing assistance programs. For example: The highest amount of rent that the Section 8 program allows for a one-bedroom apartment is $988. An SSD client making $637 a month in benefits could pay approximately $191 per month toward that rental. Through this type of arrangement the client can remain an AHI owned affordable housing unit with other grant and contract programs covering his/her shortfall in rent.

This type of arrangement offers the clients a permanent housing situation for as long as they wish, while providing income to AIDS Help to maintain the property and fund important supportive services for all clients within the HIV/AIDS care delivery system.