Title
Program Services for Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS
Action
Action:
A. Approve a contract in the amount of $2,954,407 with RAO Community Health for a term of one year to provide programming that supports individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS, and
B. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to renew the contract for up to two, one-year terms with possible price adjustments, and modify, amend, and extend the term of the contract with the purpose for which the contract was approved.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Raquishela Stewart, Housing and Neighborhood Services
Warren Wooten, Housing and Neighborhood Services
Explanation
§ On August 25, 2025, City Council approved a $2,308,647 contract with RAO Community Health to administer the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) program (HOPWA TBRA Program) in the 11-county program service area, and authorized the City Manager to extend the term of the contract for up to three years.
§ RAO Community Health was selected in response to a June 2025 request for proposals (RFP) process based on their ability to meet HOPWA TBRA Program objectives, as well as their qualifications, experience, cost-effectiveness, and responsiveness to the RFP requirements.
§ As the HOPWA TBRA Program Administrator, RAO Community Health delivers complex, essential services to individuals and families across the eleven-county HOPWA service area, helping them find, secure, and maintain affordable housing, including providing rental and utility assistance, along with other supportive services such as case management, mental health support, transportation, and food and nutrition assistance.
§ Staff originally intended to renew the contract for up to three additional one-year terms, with price adjustments and funding provided through the city’s annual HOPWA allocations. After the four-year period, a new RFP will be issued to solicit proposals for these administrative services in the 11-county area.
§ This action establishes a new 2026 contract with price adjustments, and allows for up to two additional one-year renewals, also with price adjustments, as originally intended to ensure continuity and consistency of these critical services.
§ In FY 2026 and FY 2027, the city received a total of $7,942,829 HOPWA allocations from HUD to help low-income persons living in the program service area with HIV/AIDS and their families, achieve and maintain housing stability and improve their access to and engagement in HIV/AIDS treatment and care; HOPWA funds must be spent within three years of each annual allocation:
- FY 2026: $3,858,201
- FY 2027: $4,084,628
§ The total estimated cost for the originally planned four-year service period is approximately $12,000,000, or about $3,000,000 per year, beginning with the 2025 contract. These amounts are contingent upon receiving annual HOPWA allocations from HUD.
§ If HUD’s annual HOPWA allocation decreases, the contract price adjustments will reflect this.
Background
§ The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) HOPWA program (Program) is the only federal program dedicated to the housing needs of people living with HIV/AIDS.
§ The City of Charlotte acts as the HOPWA regional administrator for the Charlotte Metropolitan Statistical Area (Program Area), which includes the counties of Anson, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, and Union in North Carolina, and the counties of Chester, Lancaster, and York in South Carolina. This required Program Service Area is determined by HUD.
§ HOPWA funds support a wide range of housing and social services including program planning, rental assistance and short-term payments to prevent homelessness, and the coordination and delivery of support services such as housing information, counseling and navigation services, assessment and case management, substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, nutritional services, job training and placement assistance, and assistance with daily living.
§ In addition to RAO Community Health’s administration of the TBRA Program in the Program Service Area, the city’s HOPWA allocations also support other local non-profit agencies that provide eligible activities for people living with HIV/AIDS including Hope Haven, House of Mercy, Kintegra Health, Mecklenburg County Health Department, NsideOut Excellence, and Roof Above.
Charlotte Business INClusion
This contract is subject to HUD requirements and is exempt from the CBI Program.
Fiscal Note
Funding: HUD HOPWA allocation