Action Alerts Blog
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Bernie Sanders Bill Funds Global AIDS Drugs by Patent Buyout
Housing Works has been advocating (along with our friends at VOCAL-NY and Health GAP) for a global Robin Hood Tax—a small tax on the wealthy that would create a fund for HIV treatment access for people across the globe.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced a bill that will soon be analyzed by the Congressional Budget Office that would do something very similar!
The Huffington Post reports that the bill S.1138 which has been proposed by Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, “would set up a $3 billion-a-year prize fund to buy out existing and future patents for AIDS drugs. The fund would compensate drug companies and researchers for their work. The patent would then be placed in …
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 5:15 pm
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ADAP Watch: AIDS Drug Wait List Hits 3,240
As of April 5th, the wait list to receive lifesaving AIDS medication through the nation’s AIDS Drug Assistance Programs had hit 3,240 people across 10 states.
The number of people waiting to receive medication through state-run AIDS drug programs has increased more than 5,000 percent since August 2009, according to the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors. The federal government has reacted with little urgency, however, allotting just $25 million in additional dollars to the program for FY 2012.
To help readers keep tabs on the growing ADAP crisis, we are now posting the ADAP Watch—the document that tracks increasing cuts to the program—each week, and including it in our …
Posted on April 9, 2012 at 10:57 am
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Action Alert: Tell NYS Leader to Restore $75 Million in Supportive Housing
Both the New York State Assembly and Senate are trying to further reduce the amount of supportive housing money that Governor Cuomo has placed in his budget. Both branches of government are moving quickly to pass an on-time budget (by April 1st) and we must act quickly to try to stop these bad budget proposals!!!!!
In January, Governor Cuomo released his Executive Budget for New York State for Fiscal Year 2012 – 2013. In this budget he included a $75 million dollars “placeholder” for supportive housing proposals from the Affordable Housing Workgroup of the Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT).
What YOU Can Do!
Please make TWO calls:
1. Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos at 518-455-3171 or at 516-766-8393
2. Assembly Speaker Sheldon …Posted on March 19, 2012 at 6:28 pm
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Action Alert: Tell Congress to Fund Housing for People with AIDS
Please contact the housing staffer in your Representative’s office TODAY and ask that your Representative sign the HOPWA letter being circulated by Rep. Nadler.
This letter, addressed to the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, requests that the Subcommittee fund the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program at $335 million for FY2013.
The text of the “Dear Colleague” letter sent by Rep. Nadler and the letter to the Subcommittee Chair and Ranking Member are below. The letter closes on March 14, so please act NOW!
Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121 and ask for your Representative’s office
Ask to speak to the housing or health staffer and request …Posted on March 7, 2012 at 11:18 am
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ACTION ALERT: Tell Speaker Silver to Include 30% Rent Cap Bill in Assembly Budget
Please take a few easy steps to help enact the 30% rent cap affordable housing bill this year.
1) Please send the linked memo on your organization’s letterhead to Simonia Brown at browns@assembly.state.ny.us and cc Jim Yates at yatesj@assembly.state.ny.us. Both contacts are staff in Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s Office.
2) Call Speaker Silver’s office at (518) 455-4881 with the following message:
“Hello, I’m
from , and I’m calling to ask Speaker Silver to include the 30% rent cap affordable housing bill – Assembly bill number 6275 – in the Assembly budget bill. This bill will prevent homelessness for thousands of New Yorkers living with AIDS.” 3) Tell your clients and staff that there will be a press conference and …
Posted on March 5, 2012 at 4:29 pm
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Action Alert: Tell US Attorney Don’t Unfairly Prosecute AIDS Activists
On April 11, 2011 a group of activists were arrested protesting Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s plans to slash AIDS funding and ban the funding of needle exchange in the District of Columbia.
That same day, Washington, DC Mayor and several City Council members were also arrested in a separate demonstration protesting these same policy “riders” in the Republican budget. But they received very different treatment—the Mayor and friends were released with $50 fines. However, the AIDS activists are being prosecuted by President Obama’s US Attorney on charges that could carry up to 6 months in jail!
Court documents allege they did nothing more than sat down near Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s office and refuse to stop chanting. But now these activists …
Posted on February 20, 2012 at 7:25 pm
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Action Alert: Tell NYC Dept of Health to Re-Instate HIV Prevention Cuts
Many community based organizations that provide needed HIV prevention and testing services received startling news that they were losing funding.
Let Health Commissioners Thomas Farley and Monica Sweeney know that these cuts cuts are unacceptable! Sign the petition!
GMAD’s Story
Gay Men of African Descent, who provide HIV tests for about 1,200 people annually, reports they are losing $160,000 in funding, almost overnight. They say:
- They were given little more than a 2-week notice that they lost $100,000 in finding for their anti-stigma work.
- They were told with a half-day’s notice that their mobile HIV testing unit was being cancelled.
- They were also told they would no longer be receiving free test kits. …
Posted on February 16, 2012 at 9:38 am
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Action Alert: Sign Petition to Drop Syringe Exchange Ban (Again)
Our friends at *Harm Reduction Coalition* are pushing to end the ban on federal funding for syringe exchange programs for once and for all. We thought we’d gotten past the ban, but last December it was slipped into a spending bill at the 11th hour.
*Speaker John Boehner (OH- R) and Chairman Hal Rogers (KY- R)* are the two Members of Congress most responsible for reinstating the ban on the use of federal funds for syringe exchange. Please join us in letting them know we strongly object to their actions by signing on today, and please spread this alert. We will deliver them in person with as many signatures as possible *by February 15!*
Follow the Update blog on …
Posted on February 7, 2012 at 4:04 pm
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