Permanent Housing and Relationship-Based Support Keep Status: Home Residents Connected to Care. A $1,000 Award Helps Them Build What Comes Next.
Frederick Bryant facilitates recovery, life skills, and advocacy groups, work he said he is very passionate about. A $1,000 Empowerment Boost award helped him get the tools to do more: a computer, a printer, and promotional materials. “This definitely came at the right time; this is everything I needed,” Bryant said.
Frederick Bryant (photo courtesy of Status: Home)
Bryant has lived at Status: Home since November 2024, and his award came after something more basic: a stable place to live. Maryum Phillips, President and CEO of Status: Home, says that matters for people living with HIV in a specific way. Homelessness makes it harder to stay in care, and HIV can push people toward homelessness. So, Status: Home treats stable housing as a core part of HIV care rather than a separate social service.
Status: Home, an Atlanta nonprofit that began in 1988 as Jerusalem House, provides permanent housing for homeless and low-income individuals and families affected by HIV. Invisible People spoke with Phillips about how stable housing supports treatment and what a small award can add once someone has a home.
The Connection Between HIV, Housing Instability and Homelessness
“It works in both directions,” Phillips told Invisible People. Experiencing homelessness makes it much more difficult for a person living with HIV to get the care they need. Without continued care and a consistent medication regimen, people with HIV cannot maintain viral suppression, which helps them live longer and avoid passing the virus on to others. At the same time, the economic, medical, and social consequences of HIV increase the risk of housing instability and homelessness.
“HIV treatment today can allow people to live long, healthy lives, but it requires consistent access to medication and medical care,” said Phillips. “When someone is worried about where they will sleep that night, how they will eat, or whether their belongings will be safe, keeping a medical appointment or taking medication at exactly the right time can understandably fall further down the list.”
“This is also central to the way we think about the work at Status: Home. We are not simply trying to get someone indoors. We are creating the stability that makes everything else possible: consistent HIV treatment, behavioral and physical health care, income and benefits, relationships, and long-term well-being,” she continued.
Housing and Relationship-Based Supportive Services Help Sustain Viral Suppression
The 97–98% viral suppression rate among Status: Home residents reflects that approach, Phillips said.
It all begins with the security of knowing where you’re going to sleep and not being in constant fear of losing the roof over your head. Stability is the first step toward keeping medical appointments, taking medications consistently, and storing medication safely. Stability also leads to better communication with providers and attention to other health needs. These next steps are easier to navigate because residents have access to community services.
“Status: Home staff are present in the community and can identify barriers early, help residents navigate health and benefits systems, coordinate with medical providers, and reconnect someone to care before a temporary challenge becomes a crisis,” Phillips said. “The model also allows us to address other issues that can interfere with HIV treatment, such as behavioral health needs, substance use, transportation, food insecurity, and lack of income. Because residents often remain with us for years, staff are able to build trusted relationships and provide sustained support rather than short-term intervention.”
“So, I would be careful about saying that housing alone causes a 97–98% suppression rate,” she continued. “Rather, our outcomes demonstrate the effectiveness of combining permanent, affordable housing with accessible, relationship-based supportive services and strong connections to healthcare.”
“When people do not have to choose between managing homelessness and managing their health, maintaining viral suppression becomes much more achievable,” Phillips said.
An On-Site Community Model Focused on Long-Term Stability and Overall Well-Being
Status: Home’s on-site community model is designed as long-term supportive housing, where individuals and families can continue to live as long as they meet program requirements and comply with their lease.
“Residents pay rent based on their income, typically 30% of income, and those with no income may have no tenant rent obligation,” Phillips told Invisible People.
Residents have access to staff who can help them with case management, health care coordination, benefits, employment, transportation, and other needs that support long-term housing stability and health.
“The goal is not to move people through housing quickly, but to provide a stable home with the support needed to remain housed and improve overall well-being,” Phillips said.
Empowerment Boost Opens Doors for Residents
Phillips said the Empowerment Boost is not a traditional cash assistance program, but residents can apply for a $1,000 award per individual or family. As Bryant’s story shows, residents can put the funding toward goals they are passionate about. Many others have used the funds for education, employment, career advancement, or entrepreneurship.
“That might include things like certification or training costs, a laptop or other equipment, professional clothing, travel associated with an opportunity, or supplies needed to start or grow a small business,” Phillips told Invisible People. “We’ve already seen residents use Boost awards to take classes, start businesses, and strengthen their employment opportunities.”
This program was designed specifically for Status: Home residents. Phillips said the idea grew out of recognizing that once someone is housed, even relatively small investments can help a family take a meaningful step toward greater economic stability or independence.
“The good news is that we know what works,” she said. “When people have stable housing and the right support around them, they can thrive.”
