AIDS Action Denounces Housing Shell Game

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Washington, D.C. -- AIDS Action today denounced House passage Wednesday night of an amendment sponsored by Rep. Van Hilleary (R-TN) to transfer badly needed housing funds for people with AIDS to veterans housing programs. AIDS Action supported increases in both the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) program as well as the veterans housing program but opposed playing a shell game with those funds.

"Forcing members of Congress to make a 'Sophie's Choice' among the most vulnerable Americans is not the way to solve America's housing problems," said Daniel Zingale, AIDS Action's executive director. "The House vote robbed Peter to house Paul."

The Hilleary amendment, passed on the House Floor by a vote of 231-200, would transfer a $21 million increase for HOPWA passed in committee to veterans housing programs. In Fiscal Year 1998, Congress provided $204 million in funding for the program and AIDS Action helped secure the $21 million increase in the program in the VA-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee.

HOPWA was created in 1990 to ensure that states and local communities had adequate funds to meet the housing needs of people living with AIDS. Proper housing is especially important for people living with HIV and AIDS because many of the new life-prolonging AIDS drugs require proper refrigeration.

"Access to housing and refrigeration are as important for adherence to AIDS drugs as are access to a pharmacy and a cup of water," added Zingale.

The $21 million increase in funding would fortify the HOPWA program to support approximately 41,500 units of housing and provide related services to almost 75,000 people living with HIV/AIDS and their families.

Since the $21 million increase for HOPWA was passed by the Senate, AIDS Action will work with conference committee members for a solution that would provide adequate housing funding for both people living with HIV/AIDS as well as our nation's veterans.