For people living with HIV/AIDS, there is probably only one thing that is more important to them than access to affordable healthcare and treatment: housing. But like healthcare, housing has to be affordable otherwise it provides little relief for the people who are trying to manage the chronic nature of their condition.
In 2012, Priced Out in 2012 -- which was released by the Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC) and the CCD Housing Task Force -- documents how affordable housing is often unattainable for people with disabilities, including people living with HIV/AIDS. The report concluded, "...non-elderly adults with disabilities living on Social Security Income confront an enormous housing affordability gap across the entire nation."
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| The Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC) and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Housing Task Force have released a study, Priced Out in 2012, which demonstrates that the national average rent for a modestly priced one-bedroom apartment is greater than the entire Supplemental Security Income (SSI) of a person with a disability. |
Whereas Priced Out in 2012 focused on the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development's (HUD) Section 811 program, there exists sufficient parallel with HUD's Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) program. HOPWA is the only Federal program dedicated to the housing needs of people living with HIV/AIDS, benefiting low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families. [1]
Affordable housing may be the most important factor for successful medical outcomes for those living with HIV/AIDS. To that end, HOPWA is a critical program to help people living with HIV/AIDS with stable affordable housing that isn’t available in mainstream housing programs.
The Obama administration has proposed significant changes in the HOPWA legislation. Additionally, there are plans by HUD to move the HIV/AIDS housing office under the umbrella of the massive homeless programs. Those proposed changes have been met with some concern, but even more unanswered questions by stakeholders about the impact on people living with HIV/AIDS.
In response, HUD issued the following statement:
"The Department’s FY 2015 HOPWA congressional budget justification includes a legislative proposal to change the formula and to expand the provision of short-term housing assistance. Congressional action is required prior to enactment of the proposal, as the HOPWA statute must be amended to enable the use of living HIV cases. This is due to the existing statutory language referring only to cumulative AIDS cases for purposes of providing formula grant awards. As such, the purpose of this notification to dispel any misunderstanding regarding the status of this legislative request since it remains a proposed action. In fact, the Department has previously submitted the legislative request in the FY 2013 and FY 2014 HOPWA budget requests without congressional action." [2]
A coalition of housing organizations have been closely monitoring the HOPWA Modernization proposal, including the National AIDS Housing Coalition (NAHC), Southern AIDS Coalition, Housing Works, AIDS Alabama, HIV Prevention Justice Alliance, and many others. These organizations have convened meetings, hosted workshops and gathered important community input.
As part of the ADAP Advocacy Association's ongoing commitment to the principles of the Housing is Healthcare, ADAP stakeholders are encouraged to register for its free webinar: Shifting Landscape of HIV Housing & its Impact on Healthcare. The webinar, which will be held on Thursday, October 23rd, is FREE to all stakeholders.
This webinar will explain the proposed changes and how they will impact people living with HIV/AIDS who need housing, including how it might undermine the Housing is Healthcare paradigm.
CLICK HERE to register for the webinar, Shifting Landscape of HIV Housing & its Impact on Healthcare.
[1] U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. HUD Exchange. Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS. 2014.
[2] U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. HUD Exchange. Update on the Status of the Proposed HOPWA Formula Change. June 23, 2014.