For thousands of people living with HIV, stable housing isn’t just about having a place to sleep—It’s an essential part of staying healthy. Advocates say a new Trump administration policy could make getting that housing even more difficult.
The administration is requiring organizations that receive funding through the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program to begin verifying applicants’ citizenship or immigration status through the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE database. While the requirement appears in new grant agreements, housing providers say they’ve also been told by federal officials to wait for further guidance before implementing it, creating confusion for organizations that rely on the program.
Lauren Banks, executive director of the National HIV/AIDS Housing Coalition, says providers have been left with mixed messages.
“They’re hearing two different things,” Banks tells The Advocate.
HOPWA is the only federal housing program created specifically for low-income people living with HIV and their families. The program helps cover rent, utilities, security deposits, emergency housing, and other services that help people remain housed while managing their health.
Banks worries the new verification process could create another obstacle for people who are already struggling to find stable housing.
While many SAVE checks are completed almost immediately, others require a manual review that can take about five federal workdays. Federal guidance has not clarified whether housing assistance should be delayed while those reviews are pending.
For someone trying to escape homelessness or prevent an eviction, even a few days can make a significant difference.
Banks said many people entering HOPWA programs don’t have easy access to documents such as birth certificates or immigration paperwork. She also fears some eligible applicants may decide not to seek assistance if they live in mixed-status households, where one family member is a U.S. citizen and another is not.
“It’s another barrier to housing, and we need to make housing as low-barrier as possible,” Banks says.
The uncertainty follows a November announcement from the Department of Housing and Urban Development declaring HOPWA grants to be federal public benefits subject to immigration eligibility rules. Although HUD said additional guidance would be released, providers say many of the most important questions—including who is responsible for conducting the checks and when they should begin—remain unanswered.
Advocates also point to the larger picture.
HUD has repeatedly found that stable housing improves health outcomes for people living with HIV. According to the agency, most HOPWA participants who receive long-term housing assistance are able to maintain stable housing, and the program has been linked to fewer emergency room visits and better HIV health outcomes.
The concerns come as the Trump administration has proposed eliminating HOPWA altogether in its fiscal year 2027 budget. Congress approved $529 million for the program this year, but the administration wants to replace it with a broader emergency housing program that would limit assistance to two years.
For Banks, every new requirement adds another hurdle for people who are already navigating poverty, housing insecurity, and HIV.
“We have a duty to help and to serve and to make things as easy as possible,” she told The Advocate. “And instead, this is just one more admin piece that is rooted in fear.”
