Armen Merjian Talks HASA Cuts on WBAI

Housing Works’ Armen Merjian, senior staff attorney, spoke on New York’s WBAI about the organization’s request for a temporary restraining order that would prevent Mayor Bloomberg from making massive budget cuts to the city’s HIV/AIDS Services Administration.

Bloomberg’s proposed budget, set to pass in the next week, slashes 248 caseworkers from the administration. “This would absolutely eviscerate the agency,” Merjian said. 

According to Housing Works, the proposed cuts are illegal because they violate both city law and a federal court order. If the cuts indeed go through, HASA will lose approximately one-third of it’s caseworkers, crippling an agency that provides life-saving services to 45,000 poor New Yorkers.

Listen to Merjian’s seven-minute breakdown of the issue.

Posted on June 23, 2010 at 5:33 pm

OUR MISSION Housing Works is a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Our mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts.

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