US Bancorp : DOORWAYS expands housing and services for people living with HIV/AIDS

'This is a fundamental step that will help us move the needle for caring for people with HIV and ending the epidemic,' says Jones, who's also looking forward to the construction of 35 affordable apartments and 15 emergency housing units adjacent to its headquarters, financed with a Low Income Housing Tax Credit investment from Advantage Capital.

'The DOORWAYS expansion will be such a significant addition to the North St. Louis area, especially because they will be closer to the folks that really need their services,' says Bill Seddon, director of the NMTC program at SLDC. USBCDC and SLDC have worked together for more than 20 years on 64 projects, totaling $357.5 million in investments in the form of tax credit investments and lending.

'As a downtown St. Louis business, USBCDC is thrilled to welcome DOORWAYS as a new neighbor that will expand the amazing resources and support that it has provided to people living with HIV/AIDS for decades,' said William Carson, vice president and NMTC business development officer at USBCDC. 'In addition to investing in this project, several U.S. Bank employees who are members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community have been volunteers at DOORWAYS for years.'

Since HIV/AIDS emerged in the 1980s, the condition has become more manageable and has a high survivability rate. However, there's still a lot of work left when it comes to prevention and the stigma associated with the condition.

Jones explains that the main goals of DOORWAYS are to end the forward transmission of the disease and to rebuke the stigma. So, the new building will have an actual DOORWAYS sign at the entrance of their new headquarters, which they haven't done before.

'We want to basically put a stake in the ground and say that even if you have HIV, that's okay; we can live stigma-free, and there's no reason to hide,' said Jones.

Then, there's the community health piece which is to get individuals who are HIV-positive to an undetectable status, a stage that Wallace, now 54 years old, has reached. And in this journey, he has found a new passion as client representative for DOORWAYS' Board of Directors, a role he has been serving for the past five years.

'I came from a place of insecurity and doubt to a place that provides me with the love and support I need,' says Wallace. 'Thanks to DOORWAYS, I've come full circle.'