California: Apartments for HIV/AIDS Patients Open to Joy

On Friday, the Rick Weiss Apartments in Palm Springs held a grand opening. With 48 studio and 32 one-bedroom apartments, the complex designates 28 affordable units for HIV/AIDS patients at risk of homelessness. Federal grants, donations, and low-interest financing enabled the developers, McCormack Baron Salazar, to keep costs down.

Rent prices will be determined by an individual's ability to pay on a scale of 30, 50 or 60 percent of the median income of the area. David Brinkman, executive director of Desert AIDS Project (DAP), which is next door to the complex, said most clients live on about $700 a month.

John Brown, former executive director of DAP, is credited with having the initial vision for the project, which took six years to complete. "It's a dream come true," he said.

"Our medical and social services will have a higher success rate because our case managers will be able to work closely with these clients," Brinkman said. He noted that the complex will help alleviate the stigma of isolation that often comes with HIV/AIDS. "You get a sense of who might need help and support," said one resident.

The complex is named for Rick Weiss, the later partner of Earl Greenburg, a housing activist who founded the Earl Greenburg Family Foundation.

Back to other news for April 2007