Impact of the Governor's Cuts to
HIV/AIDS Services
New York continues to be the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic
in the United States. Since the first cases were identified in New
York City, in 1981, more than 140,000 New Yorkers have developed
AIDS, accounting for almost 20% of the nations confirmed cases.
The epidemic is expanding; it continues to grow in our communities
of color-making up 82% of all new cases, rising among young men
who have sex with men, and steadily increasing among women, who
now make up one quarter of New York's AIDS cases.
For the third year in a row, $10.9 million for HIV/AIDS services
appropriated by the legislature were cut by the Governor in his
executive budget. These funds must be restored or they will result
in fewer resources to fight AIDS and HIV infection in communities
of color, for children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic and for programs
that help people living with AIDS adhere to their complex drug treatment
regimens. In tough fiscal times, these vulnerable populations are
the first to feel the effects of economic hardship.
- More than $3.5 million in cuts to Community Service Providers
(CSPs $1.76M), Multiple Service Agencies and Community Development
Initiatives (MSAs/CDIs $1.76M) will result in fewer people receiving
services for HIV/AIDS. Service providers have been struggling
to offer high quality services to meet increasing needs without
adequate funding. These cuts will either result in fewer people
being served, fewer services offered, fewer staff to assist clients
at local community based organizations, or sadly, all three scenarios.
- $179, 000 cut from the Homeless Housing Assistance Program,
providing appropriate housing opportunities for formerly homeless
persons living with HIV/AIDS.
- $562,000 cut from Treatment Adherence programs which help people
adhere to complex medication regimens.
- $562,000 cut from Permanency Planning services that assist families
affected with HIV/AIDS to plan for the future care of their children.
- $446,000 cut from legal services that enables low income HIV
infected persons and their families access legal assistance for
a variety of issues, including wills, discrimination, health care/entitlements,
child custody arrangements, and more.
- $625,00 cut from Specialty Contracts, $179,000 to the National
Black Leadership Commission on AIDS and $89,000 to the New York
AIDS Coalition
- $4 million in new funding from the Assembly and Senate to fight
HIV and AIDS in communities of color, and $750,000 to for and
HIV/AIDS substance abuse initiative in communities of color.
For the last three years, the Governor has left these legislative
additions out of his executive budget. Service providers struggle
yearly with decisions on whether to eliminate programs or layoff
staff, while client waiting lists grow longer. In addition to the
surge in the need for services, it has become an incredibly difficult
challenge for providers to offer these services in light of such
funding instability. These funds should not be up for review every
year, but should be viewed as baseline funding. Restoration of this
funding is crucial to organizations' ability to continue delivering
comprehensive, quality HIV/AIDS services. Funding requirements must
be met this year if we want to stand any chance of catching up with
mounting needs of this expanding epidemic.
© 2003 Gay Men's Health Crisis
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