Nadler, Crowley Laud Increase in HOPWA Funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jerrold Nadler and Congressman Joseph Crowley today praised a $14-million funding increase they had sought for the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program.  Funding for HOPWA is allocated in the Transportation, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development (TTHUD) Appropriations Act, which is expected to pass the House today.

Congressmen Nadler and Crowley have long championed HOPWA, which offers much-needed rent assistance to individuals with HIV/AIDS.  Earlier this year, more than 100 House members joined Nadler, Crowley, and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in asking the Appropriations Committee for an increase in HOPWA funding for fiscal year 2007. 

During floor debate on the TTHUD bill, Nadler thanked the Chairman and Ranking Member of the TTHUD Appropriations Subcommittee for the increase.

“This funding does a lot more than help people with HIV and AIDS move off the streets,” Congressman Nadler said.  “Recent studies have shown that housing in many cases equates directly to HIV prevention, because people with housing are much more likely to know their HIV status, and therefore less likely to transmit the disease to others.  Improvements in housing status also lead to lower rates of high-risk behavior, such as intravenous drug use, which can lead to the spread of the disease.”

 “This increase in funding is essential for the thousands of New York City residents living with HIV and AIDS,” Congressman Crowley said.  “Newer treatments for the disease offer hope but are often very costly, and individuals living with HIV/AIDS should not have to choose between purchasing life-saving medications and maintaining a roof over their heads.”

In fiscal year 2007, HOPWA will be funded at $300 million, its highest level ever. 

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