Dozens of advocacy organizations across New York State are calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to expand a program designed to cap rent costs for low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS — an initiative that is, as of now, only available in New York City.
The HIV Emergency Shelter Allowance program, which allows New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS to pay no more than 30% of their rent, is technically available statewide. However, if local counties opt in to it, they must cover 71% of the costs, which advocates say has been far too expensive for many parts of the state, leaving New York City as the only part of the state to utilize it.
Advocacy groups brought the issue to the governor’s attention in an April 23 letter signed by dozens of members of the End AIDS New York Community Coalition, including ACT UP NY, Housing Works, GMHC, Harlem United, New York Transgender Advocacy Group, Southern Tier AIDS Program, and United Health Services Binghamton, among others.
“We urge New York State to provide reimbursement of 100% of the costs to support meaningful rents under the program,” the letter states. “This reimbursement would make the program feasible for local districts that do not have the local resources to support the standard 71% share of the public assistance expense of realistic rents and the rent cap. The policy change we seek would not be a mandate on any social services district but would simply provide them the option by making the benefit fiscally possible.”
Advocates cited the state’s estimates indicating there are 2,800 individuals beyond New York City who could benefit from the funding.
Lawmakers, namely out gay Assemblymember Harry Bronson of Rochester, have repeatedly introduced legislation to address the issue, but that approach has been unsuccessful. The coalition hopes the governor moves to include the funding in the state’s upcoming budget.
Meanwhile, the program has been successful in New York City since the 1980s, according to Ginny Shubert, a co-founder of the non-profit Housing Works, which serves individuals living with HIV/AIDS and experiencing homeless.
“Since that time, the city has used that program to provide meaningful level of rental assistance for HASA (HIV/AIDS Services Administration) clients, and right now there are over 20,000 HASA clients who use that program to live independently in the community,” Shubert told Gay City News.
But areas outside of New York City, Shubert emphasized, just don’t have the budgets to cover the costs that they’re expected to provide for the program.
“It’s not because they’re mean,” Shubert explained. “It’s because they can’t pay the 71% standard share of that public assistance cost. They don’t have resources to do that.”
Shubert made the case that the amount of money necessary for the state to support the program amounts to “a rounding error,” estimating that the first year of it would cost about $3.7 million. Providing necessary housing stability, Shubert argued, would end up reducing government costs in the long run by giving people greater stability.
“The problem is, if you’re trying to manage HIV with homelessness, you’re less likely to retain care or be virally suppressed, which means you’re far more likely to use costly emergency care,” Shubert said.
Among other groups who signed the letter include Albany Medical Center, Ali Forney Center, Brooklyn Community Pride Center, BronxWorks, Destination Tomorrow, Morris Heights Health Center, Translatina Network, Treatment Action Group, and VOCAL-NY.
The Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the afternoon of April 24.
“We believe that action by you in the Enacted Budget to correct this inequity provides a unique opportunity for your administration to expand housing opportunities for a group of the most vulnerable New Yorkers, make history by becoming the first State in the nation to end homelessness among low- income households living with HIV, and save precious Medicaid resources by recognizing that housing is healthcare for people with HIV,” the letter concluded.
