AIDS Issues Update Blog
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Bloomberg Sacrifices People with AIDS in 2012 Budget
Mayor Bloomberg released his 2012 budget today, and as expected, he chose to throw poor New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS under the bus.
The 2012 budget fails to restore nearly $1.5 million in city funding for supportive housing for homeless people living with HIV/AIDS (who also have mental illnesses or substance abuse problems). In order to save $4.2 million, the budget also fails to restore funding to pay for one-third of city caseworker positions at the HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA)—an illegal funding cut that Housing Works successfully sued last year to prevent.
“Not only is the mayor’s budget cruel and callous, it’s downright illegal, an act of contempt,” said Charles King, Housing Works president and CEO. …
Posted on February 17, 2011 at 9:56 pm
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In NYC, Housing Search for the Poor Just Got Harder
Starting March 1, it’s going to be even more difficult for 350,000 low-income New Yorkers on public assistance to find a landlord who will accept them.
Two new policies at the city’s Human Resources Administration create huge barriers for homeless individuals seeking permanent homes—but HRA has yet to notify recipients of the policy changes.
The policies
First, HRA will use a voucher—not a check—to pay security deposits to landlords who have tenants on public assistance. Vouchers are a major turn-off for landlords: Property owners typically seek actual checks so they can use the funds or earn interest on them while they sit in escrow. Vouchers will only be redeemable for repairs to an apartment after damage is done, encouraging landlords to turn …
Posted on February 17, 2011 at 9:29 pm
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Chinese AIDS Activist Convicted After Speaking Out
The Chinese government has handed a one-year prison sentence to AIDS activist Tian Xi for damaging property at the hospital where he was infected with HIV.
In December, the Update named Tian one of 2010’s unsung AIDS heroes for his relentless advocacy on behalf of Chinese people living with HIV. For years, he has petitioned officials to compensate him and tens of thousands of others infected with HIV through China’s contaminated national blood supply.
Tian’s lawyer reports that Tian was weak at his court appearance last week, as he is struggling to recover from a cold. Officials are holding him in an unheated cell at a local detention center with a half-dozen other inmates with HIV/AIDS, …
Posted on February 17, 2011 at 4:39 pm
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Obama Budget Starves AIDS Housing Programs
Obama still doesn’t get it. While many AIDS programs were spared major cuts in his 2012 budget, he flat-funds or slashes funding for housing programs that are critical for people living with AIDS.
His budget proposes funding the Housing Opportunity for Persons with AIDS program at just $335 million, adding no additional dollars over 2010. HOPWA is the only federally funded program that prevents homelessness in households experiencing financial distress as a result of HIV. As unemployment has risen and thousands are dropped from the nation’s AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, HOPWA has become an increasingly critical piece of the safety net for low-income people living with HIV.
“This budget seriously endangers the government’s ability …
Posted on February 16, 2011 at 5:36 pm
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In Time for V-Day, NYC Launches Condom Finder App
In NYC, smart sex is now available through your smart phone.
After causing a stir over its new video-and-subway HIV-prevention campaign, NYC’s health department seems to be getting something right. Today, in honor of Valentine’s Day (and National Condom Awareness Day), the department is launching the NYC Condom Finder, a smart phone application designed to locate the five nearest venues that distribute free NYC condoms.
“The application also provides specific directions to each venue, . . . the hours of operation for each location, the types of safer sex products available and helpful tips on condom usage. With almost 1,000 condom distribution locations throughout the five boroughs currently accessible through the mobile app, New …
Posted on February 14, 2011 at 10:07 pm
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ADAP Watch: AIDS Drug Wait List Grows to 6,235
Last week the wait list to receive lifesaving AIDS medication through the nation’s AIDS Drug Assistance Programs grew to 6,235 people across 10 states.
The number of people waiting to receive medication through state-run AIDS drug programs has increased nearly 4,000 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.
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 Friday morning newsletter.
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Activist Alert: AIDS Conferences on the Horizon
The Update is giving readers a heads up about two AIDS activist meet-ups happening this year:
“It’s Not Over Yet”
The Campaign to End AIDS Annual HIV & AIDS Advocacy SummitApril 17-20, 2011
Kansas City, Missouri
More details.Who: Grassroots AIDS activists from C2EA chapters around the country.
Purpose: Activists descend on Kansas City to share ideas about how to push for HIV/AIDS policy changes in their regions. They’ll also brainstorm ways to foster change on the national level. Specifically, we will look at the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and assess its effectiveness in addressing the factors that most contribute to the growth of the epidemic.
Highlights: Invited …
Posted on February 14, 2011 at 5:48 pm
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State Medicaid Chief Apologizes for Overlooking Housing as Part of Redesign
After four and half hours of debate into Wednesday’s meeting of the New York State Medicaid redesign team, somebody finally said it:
“You’ve got to deal with housing as a fundamental component of health,” said Linda Gibbs, deputy mayor for health and human services in New York City, chastising both the state health department and the Medicaid redesign team for not bringing up the issue. “Without that we’re cutting off a lot of our [cost-saving] options.”
Wednesday marked the second meeting of the reform team that is charged with revamping the state’s increasingly costly Medicaid program. Team members have been traveling the state, soliciting suggestions for reform from Medicaid users and providers. At the New York City public forum last week, advocates from …
Posted on February 10, 2011 at 12:02 am
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