Supporting Replication (SURE) of Housing Interventions in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program – Evaluation Provider

This notice announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Program2 project titled Supporting Replication (SURE) of Housing Interventions in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program - Evaluation Provider (EP).
The purpose of this project is to support a single organization that serves as an EP and uses an implementation science framework (HAB IS)3 to evaluate housing-related intervention strategies for the following three key populations of people with HIV experiencing unstable housing who often have the highest HIV-related disparities (see Background Section I.2):
1) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+);
2) youth and young adults (ages 13-24); and
3) people who have been justice involved (i.e., people impacted by the justice system).
The SURE Housing initiative has two separate, yet coordinated recipients: the EP, which will be funded under this announcement (HRSA-22-032), and a separately funded announcement for an Implementing and Technical Assistance Provider (ITAP) (HRSA-22-031). The companion announcement will issue subawards to up to 10 implementation sites to implement and adapt selected interventions. Throughout this initiative, the EP will work closely with the ITAP, which will provide implementation technical assistance (TA) to the sites. The EP’s evaluation findings will support the ITAP in promoting the communication and dissemination of relevant replication materials for widespread adoption by the broader RWHAP, HIV, and housing communities in need of effective strategies to better serve people with HIV experiencing unstable housing.
The EP will develop and implement a multi-site evaluation and provide evaluation-related TA to each of the implementation sites. The multi-site evaluation will include implementation and client outcomes and a cost analysis that are consistent across the implementation sites. Implementation sites may conduct their own local evaluations with support from the EP as needed.
Implementation sites will implement and adapt housing-related intervention strategies. Examples may include, but are not limited to, intervention strategies from the RWHAP
2 HRSA Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part F: Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Program. Available at: https://hab.hrsa.gov/about-ryan-white-hivaids-program/part-f-special-projects-national-significance-spns-program
3 Psihopaidas D, Cohen SM, West T, et al. (2020) Implementation science and the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Ryan White HIV AIDS Program’s work towards ending the HIV epidemic in the United States. PLoS Med 17(11):e1003128. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003128.

SPNS housing-related initiatives; HUD HOPWA’s Integrated HIV/AIDS Housing Plan4 or VAWA/HOPWA Demonstration Initiative5; and other innovative HIV and housing-related models6 as resources to help identify potential effective interventions. Refer to the companion ITAP notice of funding opportunity announcement (HRSA-22-031) for more information.
Both the EP and ITAP are required to coordinate activities and share information and data during the implementation, evaluation, and dissemination phases of this initiative. The EP will provide evaluation-related TA to the implementation sites, while the ITAP will provide implementation-related TA. Specifically, the EP will develop and implement a multi-site evaluation and provide related TA to each of the implementation sites. Evaluation-related TA includes, but is not limited to, training implementation site staff on using the data portal and other necessary data systems before and throughout the implementation period.
The EP will also disseminate evaluation-related findings and products, which will feed into the ITAP’s dissemination of programmatic materials such as replication tools and an implementation manual. The success of this initiative is dependent on the collective success of the individual components, with the ultimate goal of communicating and disseminating replication tools to the broader RWHAP, HIV, and housing communities.
Recognizing the critical role of housing in supporting people with HIV to improve health outcomes, HRSA will draw upon the expertise of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), including its Office of HIV/AIDS Housing (OHH), which administers the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) Program.7 HUD is responsible for national policy and programs that address America’s housing needs, and enforce fair housing laws. As such, HRSA will seek HUD’s expertise as needed for the purposes of this initiative.