GMHC Decries Failure of Mayor Bloomberg's Fiscal Year 2013 Budget

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Krishna Stone | 212.367.1016

New York, NY — Less than two months after touting the success of past prevention efforts at reducing HIV incidence and prevalence in New York City, Mayor Bloomberg today presented a budget that would slash the very programs that have proven to be effective in decreasing new infections. The mayor's budget proposal would gut funding for critical financial management, housing, nutrition and prevention services for low income New Yorkers living with AIDS.

"New York City has a long history of leading the way in confronting the HIV epidemic by targeting the hardest hit communities," said Marjorie J. Hill, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of GMHC.   "It is simply unconscionable that in the 31st year of the epidemic, with over 107,000 people living with HIV in the city, the Mayor failed to restore funding for the very services that have over the years helped New York get the HIV epidemic under control," added Hill.

Over the last three years Mayor Bloomberg has put forward proposals to close the city's budget gap by cutting funding for HIV specific programs and services. City Council has stepped in to restore this funding with one-time restorations that last a single year. The restorations would expire at the end In June 2012.

In addition to these cuts, in his November 2011 Financial Plan Mayor Bloomberg put forward a proposal to slash HIV prevention funding by $1.4 million. The continued cuts to evidence-based HIV prevention funding is nothing short of alarming and irresponsible as they run counter to the goals of the National HIV/AIDS strategy and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's goal of reducing new HIV incidence. 

The following is a complete list of the affected programs and funding cuts: 

• HASA Supportive Housing Case Management- $5.086 million
  About 4,500 HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) clients with a history of chronic homelessness, substance use and/or mental health issues reside in supportive housing programs. 
• Food & Nutrition Services through HASA (Project Momentum) - $995,000
  Over 40,000 hot meals are served every year to people living with HIV/AIDS. Failure to fund this program could cause them to close. 
• HIV/AIDS Financial Management - $200,000
  This program keeps HASA clients with a medical need for financial assistance housed.
• HIV Prevention - $1.406 million
  The mayor's FY12 November Financial Plan cut funding for evidence based HIV prevention programs, including programs that help people living with HIV.

Dr. Hill added: "We thank City Council and Speaker Quinn for working with us over the years and ask for their continued action to ensure that funding for these critical programs and services is restored."

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About GMHC:  GMHC is a not-for-profit, volunteer-supported, and community-based organization committed to national leadership in the fight against AIDS. We provide prevention and care services to men, women, and families that are living with, or affected by, HIV/AIDS in New York City. We advocate for scientific, evidence-based public health solutions for hundreds of thousands worldwide.  Our mission:  GMHC fights to end the AIDS epidemic and uplift the lives of all affected.