HUD Awards Clare Housing $2.5 Million to Launch Clare Digs — July 23, 2024

We’re very excited to share the news that Clare Housing has been awarded $2.5 million dollars from HUD through their Housing Interventions (HINT) to End the HIV Epidemic program, a part of the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program. Unlike the majority of HOPWA funding, which is distributed through annual formula allocations, HINT is a competitive award aimed at promoting best practices in the field. 

We will be using these funds to launch Clare Digs, a “no-barrier” housing with services project in Hennepin and Ramsey county. There is currently an HIV outbreak among people who use injection drugs and who are associated with homeless encampments in these counties. Current options take many weeks or months to get individuals into housing, with lengthy and complex application processes – factors that can often lead to case workers losing contact with clients before they can even move into housing. Our innovative and unique new project has been designed through detailed and comprehensive input from the people we will serve and will allow people impacted by an HIV outbreak to move directly into housing quickly with an extremely minimal application and approval process.  

Clare Housing is a Housing First organization, providing residents with permanent housing as the crucial first step to stability and health. Clare Digs will provide 24/7 on-site support services, weekly on-site nursing care, and on-site care coordination. We will also be researching and reporting along the way so that we may share best practices with other service providers.  

This funding was highly competitive, awarded to only 11 organizations nationwide. We are proud that HUD recognizes the necessity of this unique approach we will be bringing forward to serve our community.