As soon as the Senate completes work on its FY' 97 VA/HUD Appropriations bill,
the House and Senate conferees will be named. However, we have heard that key
members of the House and Senate VA/HUD appropriations committees are not waiting
and plan to meet this week to reconcile the different versions of the FY '97
VA/HUD appropriations bill, complete the VA/HUD conference report and have it
ready for full House and Senate final votes as early as next week.
President Clinton is not expected to veto the VA/HUD Appropriations bill, which
means that these conference negotiations are the only chance we have left to get
HOPWA funding increased for FY '97. Even though the President has sent a revised
FY '97 budget request to Congress, asking for an additional $25 million for
HOPWA in FY '97 -- for a total of $196 million -- we need to ensure that the
Administration stands firm and insists on the $25 million increase, and that
members of the House and Senate demand the increase as well.
- CALL YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES TODAY!! Advertisement
Urge them to insist that FY'
97 funding for HOPWA be increased in the final FY' 97 VA/HUD Appropriations bill
conference report. HOPWA must be funded at the Administration's amended request
of $196 million -- a $25 million increase over FY 96.
If your Senator or Representative is listed here, he or she is a potential
conferee and so it is especially important that you contact that office.
Senators: Bond(R-MO), Burns(R-MT), Stevens(R-AK), Shelby(R-AL), Bennett(R-UT),
Nighthorse Campbell(R-CO), Hatfield(R-OR), Mikulski(D-MD), Leahy(D-VT),
Johnston(D-LA), Lautenberg(D-NJ), Kerrey (D-NJ) and Byrd(D-WV). House Members:
Lewis(R-CA), DeLay(R-TX), Walsh(R-NY), Hobson(R-OH), Vucanovich(R-NV),
Knollenberg(R-MI), Frelinghuysen(R-NJ), Neumann(R-WI), Livingston(R-LA),
Stokes(D-OH), Mollohan(D-WV), Chapman(D-TX), Kaptur(D-OH), and Obey(D-WI).
- CALL ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS TODAY!!!
The President must follow through
with his commitment and insist that HOPWA be funded at $196 million in the final
FY' 97 VA/HUD Appropriations bill. The Administration must stand firm in its
funding request for HOPWA of $196 million. HOPWA must be a priority in the FY
'97 VA/HUD appropriations bill negotiations.
People living with HIV/AIDS and their families rely on HOPWA dollars to provide
them with desperately-needed housing. Without stable housing, many people with
HIV disease will die prematurely, because it is virtually impossible to link
them to care services and life-sustaining treatments if they do not have a
stable place to live. A $25 million increase in HOPWA funding will provide
housing services to an additional 6,725 individuals and families living with
HIV/AIDS.
REMIND YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THE ADMINISTRATION THAT:
- HOPWA is the only federal housing program that provides cities and
states hardest-hit by the AIDS epidemic with the resources to address the
housing crisis facing people living with HIV/AIDS in their communities. The
housing provided by HOPWA dollars not only allows people to improve the quality
of their lives and access life-extending care, it actually reduces unnecessary
hospitalizations and reduces the use of emergency health care services by an
estimated $47,000 per person per year.
- Since FY '95, the number of metropolitan areas and states qualifying for
HOPWA formula grants has increased by 23 percent, and the number of new AIDS
cases reported by the CDC has increased by almost one-third. Yet in that same
time period, HOPWA funding has remained flat at $171 million!
- A $25 million increase in FY' 97 will help to stem the cuts in funding
existing grantees have experienced as a result of flat funding. The
Administration estimates that providing an additional $25 million will "roughly
maintain average award levels to cities and states."
- Moreover, a $25 million increase will enable cities and states to
provide housing and services to an additional 6,725 individuals and families
living with HIV/AIDS.
Capitol Switchboard: 202/224-3121
Administration:
President Clinton : 202/456-1111
Jack Lew, Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget
202/395-4840
Bruce Katz, Chief of Staff HUD
202/708-2713
Patricia Fleming, National AIDS Policy Director
202/632-1090
You can reach the White House by e-mail at president@whitehouse.gov
E-mail addresses for your Representatives and Senators can be found posted in
HandsNet at Resources/Congressional Contacts.
[Paid for with contributions from AIDS Action Network Members]
For more information, contact:
Tracy Mickens-Hundley, Director of Community Outreach
AIDS Action Council
1875 Connecticut Avenue NW #700
Washington DC 20009
202-986-1300, extension 3053
202-986-1345 (fax)
202-332-9614 (tty)
E-Mail: aidsaction@aidsaction.org
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