Lack of affordable housing is a critical problem facing a growing number of people living with HIV/AIDS. Efforts to build HIV/AIDS housing often encounter chronic funding shortfalls, bureaucratic indifference, and the stigma and fear of AIDS. Projects to create HIV/AIDS housing may fail because of local opposition by neighborhood or community groups.

Virginia Supportive Housing has made great strides in overcoming many of the stigmas surrounding housing for persons with HIV/AIDS. Since 1998, Virginia Supportive Housing (VSH) has been providing HIV positive citizens of the Richmond Metropolitan Area with permanent housing and comprehensive support services. VSH owns and operates two houses, each housing eight single adults. Bliley Manor and Stratford House provide quality affordable housing. Residents pay 30% of their income with a minimum of $50 per month up to a maximum of $305 per month.

In 2003, Virginia Supportive Housing expanded the support services at Stratford House. This new program at Stratford House, offers opportunities for people living with HIV/AIDS and battling substance abuse to enhance their quality of life. The program is an alcohol and drug free residence and engages residents with programming that challenges them to set goals by providing the support needed to achieve them. Through collaboration with local agencies, residents participate in substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, medication adherence, independent skill building, and education. VSH works with the VCU Health System to provide the best supportive services possible to the residents at Bliley Manor and Stratford House. This innovative approach combines the strengths of both organizations.

Stratford House is committed to providing an environment where residents nurture a sense of independence and self-determination rather than dependency. The program strives to provide client-centered care. Viewing the residents as individuals, each with his or her own unique strengths, creates an atmosphere where residents build upon each successive achievement.