Although no new cuts were made to the city’s HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) in today’s preliminary budget for the upcoming fiscal year, no news is not always good news.

Bloomberg’s budget proposal does not account for a significant number of cuts that have been made to HASA in the last few years – most notably, $5.1 million to supportive housing and $4.8 million to HRA clients’ brokers’ fees – which have not been base-lined into the budget proposal for FY13. These cuts are still on the table.

City Council restored all funding for supportive housing last year, which saved essential housing for some of HASA’s most vulnerable clients. But the constant onslaught of budget cuts to HASA’s programs have meant fierce budget battles, and this year will be no different.

In addition to HASA services that are still at risk, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s budget included a cut of $1.4 million to HIV prevention services. This cut, which appears to be a result of federal budget cuts to HIV prevention, has resulted in cuts to agencies who provide these services. Unfortunately, providers were notified at the end of the year of a cut to their contracts only two weeks before these cuts went into effect.

Advocates will start budget season with a February 8th oversight hearing on recent HASA policy changes that drastically affect clients’ ability to find housing, including lower brokers’ fee payments, and new substance use screening policies. Add the ongoing threat to supportive housing, and the city has set up a recipe for disaster. Clients and advocates will fight hard this year to protect services and keep New Yorkers with HIV housed and healthy.

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