Living Room Brings Housing Services for People Living with HIV/AIDS in Georgia

ATLANTA, Ga.- Living Room, Inc., Georgia's leading provider of supportive housing services for people living with HIV/AIDS, has expanded its service area to include the counties surrounding the cities of Rome and Dalton, Georgia. Living Room has served clients in the greater Atlanta area for 16 years.

The previously underserved population in the 20-county northwest Georgia region will now have access to services and programs that include emergency financial assistance and long-term rental assistance. The programs will be funded through a grant from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs' Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA).

"We're very excited to have this opportunity to offer our services in Northwest Georgia," said Twilynn Jourdain, Living Room's Director of Client Services. "Our goal is to help clients living with HIV/AIDS access and maintain permanent, safe and affordable housing, which is essential for their mental and physical health, as well as their spiritual well-being. Everyone deserves to live their best life, and we are happy that we will support our clients in doing just that."

Long-time Dalton resident Gilsia Hernandez, who recently joined Living Room's staff, will serve the region as the Special Needs Housing Assistance Program (SNHAP) case manager. "Being part of this community for so many years gives extra meaning to being able to serve here," Ms. Hernandez said. "The SNHAP Program in northwest Georgia will fill in the gap in services offered to HIV positive individuals and families that are facing the double challenges of homelessness and unemployment."

Living Room will be operating out of the Living Bridge Center in Dalton. Jeff Vollman, HIV Director at the center is looking forward to the partnership. "Safe, affordable and supportive housing is crucial to our shared clients well-being and serves as the foundation to more stability in their lives and an increased quality of life. We look forward to working with and watching the Living Room program in north Georgia grow and prosper over the coming years."

Founded in 1995, Living Room is Georgia's leading nonprofit provider of housing and housing services for people living with HIV/AIDS. The agency provides subsidized supportive housing, housing referrals and housing-related emergency assistance, and has helped more than 21,000 clients access and maintain permanent, affordable housing.