HIV Orgs Get Hundreds of Millions Under Stimulus Bill

HIV programs will be receiving substantial funds under the new federal stimulus package to assist people affected by both HIV and the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $2 trillion economic aid bill, approved by Congress and signed into law by Donald Trump last week, earmarks $155 million for HIV programs, the Washington Blade reports. This consists of $90 million for community-based HIV organizations funded under the Ryan White Act and $65 million for housing under the Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS program.

The money is needed because HIV organizations will have to adapt some of the ways they provide service in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, and some HIV-positive people are suffering economic consequences, such as lost jobs and possibly lost housing, due to the pandemic, health workers told the Blade. There also is the concern that poz people who are not on treatment are more susceptible to the virus.

Rachel Klein, deputy executive director of the AIDS Institute, outlined some needed organizational changes in a Blade interview. "People are trying to avoid sitting in public meeting rooms unnecessarily because they don't want to be exposing themselves potentially to a new virus," she said. "The programs are going to need to be able to be flexible, to find creative ways to ensure that people are able to still get the care that they need, and that's going to come with some costs."

Trending stories

Discover the power of Wellness in your life

Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring

Robert Irwin is stripping down & rocking tiny briefs in new underwear campaign

Elon Musk uses burner accounts on X, doesn’t fact-check: report

French Polynesia doesn’t need Pride flags to earn its place on every LGBTQ+ bucket list

All 6 rogue Mississippi cops got long prison sentences in 'Goon Squad' torture of 2 Black men

How climate disasters hurt mental health in young people

'White Lotus' S3 finale recap: Here's how each character's story ended

Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times

Out and About with Karan Soni

France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution

Dylan Efron dishes on his sexy back arch & Speedo pics: 'That's what I'm good at!'

Who died on 'The White Lotus' season 3? The finale, explained.

Broadway bound: The best hotels in NYC’s Theater District for every type of traveler

Beyond Wonderland's accepting & unifying rave culture is needed more than ever

The Charles is Pacific Grove's new LGBTQ+ hotel

Joe Biden has tied the record for most LGBTQ+ judges confirmed in federal courts

Here's what the 'White Lotus' stars revealed about the season 3 finale

Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources

Matt Bomer reveals his favorite 'Fellow Travelers' sex scene with Jonathan Bailey

Peaches Christ says she's been 'retraumatized' by police investigating drag icon Heklina's death

23 brutally funny 'Hands Off' protest signs that prove the resistance is alive & hilarious

J.K. Rowling's new target? The asexual community

Madonna and Elton John have 'buried the hatchet' — tease music collab

Broadway's best raise over $1 million for LGBTQ+ and HIV causes

• 0
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8

Lauren Killelea, director of public policy of the National AIDS Housing Coalition, pointed out that people with unstable housing are less likely to be on treatment, heightening their risk for COVID-19. "(Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS) is uniquely situated to be a great, flexible resource for low-income people living with HIV during the coronavirus pandemic," she told the Blade. "HOPWA can not only provide permanent housing but also short-term assistance as well as critical supports like access to transportation and nutrition services."

LGBTQ and HIV activist groups and allies in Congress had campaigned for the inclusion of HIV funding in the bill.