| GMHC Tells the Mayor that
the Recession May Be Over, But the AIDS Crisis Is Not
GMHC is very pleased that Mayor Bloomberg's Executive Budget signals
NYC's economic recession is over and the proposed $46.9 billion
city budget projects a $1.3 billion surplus for the current year
that ends June 30. However, we are disappointed that despite this
surplus, the Executive Budget does not propose any significant increases
to HIV/AIDS services. In fact, we are very concerned that the vital
$5 million Community of Color HIV Initiative that the Mayor put
in the budget last year was not reinstated. New York City's economic
recession may be over, but its AIDS crisis is not. Since the first
cases were identified in New York City in 1981, more than 137,168
New Yorkers have developed AIDS. Of the estimated 40,000 new HIV
infections occurring in the US every year, one fifth are expected
to take place in New York City. Unfortunately, New York City continues
to be the epicenter of the nation's HIV/AIDS epidemic. The number
of persons living with HIV/AIDS is at a record high for New York
with 83,249 cases. GMHC is disheartened that the City's Executive
budget does not improve the much damaged healthcare infrastructure
and furthermore does not make allowances for new HIV/AIDS needs
that are driven by increasing client caseloads.
The Executive Budget does not include $5 million for the Community
of Color HIV Initiative, thus leaving this critical initiative unfunded
in the coming year. Failure to reinstate this HIV initiative would
leave the City prone to the escalating HIV rates among an especially
high risk population: communities of color that have been disproportionally
hit hard by HIV/AIDS. Not only should this funding be reinstated,
it should be increased and added to the base budget in order to
have maximum efficiency in its utilization.
The Executive Budget also does not include adequate provisions
for the Take Care New York: A Policy for a Healthier New York
Initiative which the City hailed and released a month ago.
Within this aggressively bold public health agenda, there are three
priority areas in particular that are vital to the HIV community
and necessitate targeted funding:
- Increase access to regular doctors or other health care providers.
Dependable health insurance, routine doctor visits and access
to culturally competent health professionals are essential elements
of any health system that aims to promote positive health outcomes.
For people with HIV, having access to health insurance is probably
the most critical feature of their health care landscape.
- Increase HIV testing and opportunities to link people into
care. Better utilization of rapid testing can break down barriers
and help people to know their status. Increased awareness of
HIV status and improved risk reduction initiatives can substantially
reduce risky behaviors, HIV transmission, HIV-related illness,
and AIDS death.
- Reduce chemical dependency. Drug treatment and harm reduction
programs, especially designed for clients whom are HIV-positive,
need to be established and expanded.
The Executive Budget continues the practice of siphoning off approximately
$25 millions of federal AIDS funding via the HOPWA Swipe to pay
for HASA caseworkers. We urge the City to right this wrong by appropriating
$25 million of city tax levy funds into the development of new housing
for people living with HIV/AIDS. Also of concern is the unexplained
shift of approximately $10 million from HRA's supportive housing
category into the SRO housing category. We believe that this is
the reverse direction for the City: NYC should be decreasing our
dependency on SRO housing and increasing our capacity for supportive
housing.
We also recognize the city budget's need to have provisions that
allow improvement to the infrastructure of New York's public health
system. In particular, the lack of appropriate funds to the Department
of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and the city hospitals to carry
out their basic missions is very disconcerting. The Department
of Health and Mental Hygiene promotes and protects the health and
quality of life for New Yorkers. It enforces compliance of city
health codes and operates a broad range of public health services
to monitor, prevent and control disease. In particular, DOHMH's
HIV-related services focus on public health education, administration
of grants and contracts, case reporting, confidential counseling
and testing, and direct clinic-based medical care. The operation
of these DOPH functions should be strengthened, but at a minimum,
must be maintained.
Finally, we are concerned that HHC receive additional support for
HIV/AIDS services. HHC provides 51% of the City's hospital-based
outpatient HIV care to New Yorkers regardless of their ability to
pay and it is a vital health care safety net. The $200 million
in additional support that Mayor Bloomberg provided in the Executive
budget for HHC is a good first step in supporting the city's public
health care infrastructure. However, more can be done and more
must be done to ensure that the vital HIV/AIDS services provided
by HHC are not endangered.
A partnership between government, community organizations and consumers
representation is the most effective strategy for our city in combating
the AIDS epidemic. We ask and demand that the City reconsider these
needs in the budget negotiations process which is currently underway.
© 2004 Gay Men's Health Crisis |
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