HIV: Housing Is Vital

The Challenge

We’ll never stop the spread of HIV in Central Texas if we can’t provide the stability and support people need to maintain their treatment and suppress the virus. Decades of data couldn’t be clearer: housing is critical to good HIV outcomes, including viral suppression.

The Austin Area Comprehensive HIV Planning Council says housing is “without question the most significant service gap within the Austin area.”

According to the City of Austin, in 2020 there were more than 300 people with HIV experiencing homelessness who were not treating the virus. Another 1,800-2,000 people with HIV are struggling to maintain their housing or face an imminent risk of eviction in Central Texas.

Our community has just 40 units of housing to meet this overwhelming community need.

The Plan

Project Transitions is building new housing for people living with HIV/AIDS in Central Texas.

First, we redeveloped Roosevelt Gardens, one of our existing properties. We nearly doubled its size to 40 units of stable, supportive, affordable housing exclusively for people with HIV. Clients moved in in Fall 2022, and the facility is now 100% full with a waiting list.

Our current development, Burnet Place, will add another 61 units of safe, stable housing that will serve Central Texas for generations to come.
By 2024, Austin will have 101 total units dedicated to individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS.

Roosevelt Gardens opened in fall 2022 and is at 100% occupancy

The Funding

Public funding from the City of Austin affordable housing bonds and the State of Texas are providing 84% of the total cost of both projects. The remainder is being provided by generous donations to our capital campaign.

The Campaign

Since 2022, the HIV: HOUSING IS VITAL capital campaign has raised more than $3.5 million in private funding to make this vision a reality.

We are very grateful for the generosity of our institutional and individual donors:

The Impact

Building these supportive homes will:

Stop the Spread of HIV - Additional units of affordable, stable housing will reduce the overall HIV infection rate in Austin by helping more people manage their HIV treatment successfully and achieve viral suppression..
Help End Homelessness for People Living with HIV - Providing more housing for this high-risk, high-needs population will significantly reduce the number of people living with HIV who are experiencing homelessness in our community.
Help End Homelessness in Austin - Building new housing reduces the overall number of people who are experiencing homelessness in Austin. By lifting the some of the most medically vulnerable out of homelessness, we are taking the overall fight against homeless a big leap forward.
Improve Health Outcomes - More individuals will make a lasting connection to HIV treatment, resulting in stable health and more people getting to undetectable and untransmittable, something that isn’t possible on the streets.
Improve Community Health - People who are medically and mentally fragile are often heavy users of emergency health services. The wrap around services that come with these homes will provide a pathway to stability by meeting other long-unmet needs, including mental health and substance use treatment. When people are housed, health improves, medical costs go down, and the further spread of HIV is prevented. Improving individual outcomes and community health.
Get closer to zero transmissions by 2030 - By targeting our efforts on those folks that are hardest to reach, engage, and keep in services, we will make significant strides to the international goal of zero HIV transmission by the year 2030.