Features Blog
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2012 Election Year Resurrects Culture Wars on AIDS, Race and Welfare
The beginning of 2012 feels strangely like 1982, largely because GOP Presidential hopefuls Rick Santorum and Ron Paul have returned to brazen scapegoating of Black people on welfare and people with HIV as a drain on civil society, in order to solidify their base support before last night’s Iowa Caucuses. The scarier part is that it worked.
On Sunday, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) appeared on Fox News, where he defended comments he made in a 1987 book saying people with HIV should be forced to pay for their own care. He defended his earlier comments from 25 years ago by telling Chris Wallace:
“I don’t know how you can change science. Sexually transmitted disease is caused by sexual activity and when …
Posted on January 4, 2012 at 1:41 pm
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Happy Holidays! AIDS Issues Update Returns in January
The AIDS Issues Update will not publish the week of December 26-30. We will return the week of January 2.
The staff of Housing Works wishes you all a Happy Holidays.
Posted on December 22, 2011 at 12:41 pm
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Advocates Plan Response to Syringe Exchange Funding Ban
Shocking many AIDS and harm reduction advocates, last week Congress approved a bill that reinstated the federal ban on syringe exchange funding through fiscal year 2012.
Activists are now left wondering what to do next to push the Congress and President Obama on this issue, which is proven to save many lives and drastically reduce new HIV infections in injection drug users.
“It’s disheartening to see after 12 years of hard work to get this ban lifted in 2009, Congress brought it back with the stroke of a pen,” said Christine Campbell, VP, National Advocacy and Organizing for Housing Works.
Advocates like Ronald Johnson were heartened by how many people took action to try to protect needle exchange funding—an issue …
Posted on December 21, 2011 at 2:16 pm
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Interview: Jeff Crowley on National AIDS Strategy and Leaving ONAP
On December 2, 2011, Housing Works had the opportunity to interview Jeffrey Crowley, MPH, who ends his tenure as President Obama’s Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy(ONAP) and Senior Advisor on Disability Policy this month. Crowley was appointed by President Obama to those positions in 2009. Crowley spoke to us via phone about the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, the Affordable Care Act and his legacy at ONAP.
HW: So what do you think have been the major achievements of your time at ONAP?
JC: Well I think that passing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy was a major accomplishment. We think it is a great roadmap to achieving our goals of reducing HIV incidence. Not only that, …
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 11:52 am
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ADAP Watch: AIDS Drug Wait List Hits 4,333
As of December 16, 2011 the wait list to receive lifesaving AIDS medication through the nation’s AIDS Drug Assistance Programs had hit 4,333 people across 12 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 …
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 11:23 am
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Medicaid Redesign Team Recommends Housing Supports for People with HIV
Cuomo’s Medicaid Redesign Team approved the affordable housing proposal, which recommended some affordable housing supports for people with HIV. Housing Works has advocated a 30% rent cap for people with HIV for many years.
The final report of the Affordable Housing work group recommended the creation of a “Moving On Initiative” to support people in independent housing. This proposed initiative would evaluate “mechanisms for supporting tenants whose chief barrier to independent living is a lack of a cap on the tenant contribution in subsidized rental programs such as the enhanced rental assistance program for people with HIV disease/AIDS.”
“The workgroup had to make a lot of hard decisions under a time crunch and the fact that they discuss supportive housing issues for people …
Posted on December 15, 2011 at 4:45 pm
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ADAP Watch: AIDS Drug Wait List Hits 4,155
As of December 9, 2011 the wait list to receive lifesaving AIDS medication through the nation’s AIDS Drug Assistance Programs had hit 4,155 people across 12 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 …
Posted on December 13, 2011 at 11:36 am
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Charles King Op Ed: Why Housing Works Opposes NYC’s New HIV Guidelines
Charles King is president and CEO of Housing Works.
Last week, I was quoted in the New York Times article that broke the story about New York City’s new HIV treatment guidelines. In that article Health Commissioner Thomas Farley vaunted the benefits of immediate treatment for anyone diagnosed with HIV. I expressed strong reservations about the policy. I want to explain Housing Works position on treatment—and our grave concerns about Farley’s new recommendations.
Let’s start with the science: No randomized studies have proven the benefit of starting people with HIV on antiretroviral treatment when their CD4 cells are above 500. The very first question in Farley’s own “Frequently Asked Questions for Healthcare Providers” that accompanied his new treatment …
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 6:51 pm
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