Contacts: Mikola De Roo, 347-585-6051, m.deroo@housingworks.org Elizabeth Koke, 347-473-7459, e.koke@housingworks.org

Governor Cuomo Announces State Support for Expanded Housing & Services for People with HIV

Albany, NY–On the eve of New York City Pride, a weekend of events celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender-non-conforming New Yorkers, Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced the expansion of HIV/AIDS housing and services to all income-eligible people with HIV in New York City. With this announcement, the State joins New York City in a significant step towards ending our HIV epidemic—a victory for NYC residents with HIV, Housing Works and otherHIV/AIDS Advocacy organizations that is the culmination of many years of a “HASA for ALL” campaign.

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. NYC’s HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) provides lifesaving social services including rental subsidies and transportation and nutritional assistance, but to date these essential benefits have been limited to persons withAIDS or other advanced HIV disease by outdated eligibility criteria.