$300,000 Awarded to Texas AIDS Agency

A local community residence for low-income individuals with HIV/AIDS has gotten a financial boost from the Houston City Council. Stevens House received almost $300,000 in federal funds through a Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS grant. Stevens House has operated since 1992, helping HIV-positive patients live independently. Councilman Jew Don Boney, who spearheaded the grant, said the funds continue the support the city of Houston has provided the agency since 1996.

Stevens House officials say they offer more than just a place for HIV-positive patients to stay. "Coming here is the first step low-income people with AIDS can take to get back on their feet and into an independent living situation," said Wanda Carrington, executive director for Stevens House. "It gives them a chance to lead independent lives again." Besides offering a bed and three meals a day, the center encourages and assists its patients finding jobs, seeking proper medical attention and returning to normal lives. The center offers referrals to local medical centers, provides transportation for the patients, and sets up medication regimens and diet training for patients. Stevens House also offers vocational training and GED instructors.

Stevens House was founded in 1992 by an anonymous Roman Catholic Priest who had a friend named Steven dying of AIDS. "The priest had no place to take Steven and thought it was time the Houston area had such a place," Carrington said. "That's how the center came to be. And since then, we've had a 68 percent success rate, as far as leading our patients into a position to live independently again." The grant will provide $298,000 over a two-year period.

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