MFA administers the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program, a HUD formula grant for the state of New Mexico. This program’s purpose is to provide housing assistance and related supportive services for low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families.
In NM there are three service providers who administer the HOPWA funds.
- Southwest CARE Center
- El Camino Real Housing Authority
- Southwestern Regional Housing and Community Development Corporation
Southwest CARE Center covers the northern region of the state which includes the following counties:
| Bernalillo* | Rio Arriba |
| Cibola | Sandoval |
| Colfax | San Juan |
| Guadalupe | San Miguel |
| Harding | Santa Fe |
| Los Alamos | Taos |
| McKinley | Union |
| Mora | Valencia |
| Quay |
* - including the city of Albuquerque and outside of the Albuquerque city limits
El Camino Real Housing Authority covers the Southern Region I which includes the following counties:
| Catron | Lincoln |
| Chaves | Luna |
| Curry | Otero |
| De Baca | Roosevelt |
| Eddy | Sierra |
| Grant | Socorro |
| Hidalgo | Torrance |
| Lea |
Southwestern Regional Housing and Community Development Corporation cover the Southern Region II which includes the following county:
| Doña Ana |
HOPWA housing assistance consists of Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA), Short Term Rent, Mortgage and Utility payments (STRMU) and Permanent Housing Placement (PHP).
- Tenant Based Rental Assistance is a program funded the HUD to help low-income families pay their rent and related housing expenses.
- Short Term Rent, Mortgage and Utility assistance is a program funded by HUD designed to prevent homelessness of individuals and families by helping them remain in their own dwellings and increasing their access to supportive services. This assistance may be in the form of rental, mortgage or utility payment.
- Permanent Housing Placement is a program funded by HUD that may be used to pay for:
- Applications fees and credit check expenses
- One-time utility connections fees
- Rental security deposits
- First & last month’s rent
- PHP is used to place individuals into housing not assist individuals already in housing
Here is the contact information for the three HOPWA service providers:
Southwest CARE Center
Executive Director - Jeff Thomas
(505) 216-0333
jthomas@southwestcare.org
Director of Specialty Services - Laurie Bauer
(505) 780-4061
lbauer@southwestcare.org
Housing Case Manager – Michael Kargas
(505) 218-8472
mkargas@southwestcare.org
El Camino Real Housing Authority
Executive Director – Maryann Chavez-Lopez
(575) 835-0196, Ext. 401
maryann@socorrohousing.org
HQS Inspection & Section 8 Manager - Geraldine Maldonado
(575) 835-0196
geraldine@socorrohousing.org
Southwestern Regional Housing and Community Development Corporation
Executive Director – Veronika Molina
(575) 546-4181
veronika@swnm.org
Program Manager – Aziza Espinoza
(575) 546-4181
aziza@swnm.org
MFA HOPWA Program Manager – Natalie Michelback
(505) 767-2272
nmichelback@housingnm.org
