Homelessness and housing instability remain obstacles to effective HIV treatment for an estimated 10,000 HIV-positive New Yorkers across the State. For an individual with HIV, lack of stable housing and access to transportation and food pose formidable barriers to engagement in effective HIV care and can mean the difference between life and death. 

In NYC, the HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) provides lifesaving social services including rental subsidies and transportation and nutritional assistance. In 2016, after many years of a "HASA for All" campaign, the criteria to receive these these essential benefits were updated to include all HIV positive people who meet the income requirement. While thousands of HIV-positive New York City residents will now have access to benefits and services through HASA, much work remains in the rest of New York State and throughout the country.