House Passes T/THUD Bill; Rep. Nadler Offers HOPWA Amendment  6/14/06
On Tuesday, June 13, 2006, the House of Representatives voted to pass the FY07 Transportation, Treasury, and House & Urban Development (T/THUD) Appropriations bill for FY07 (406 - 22). Included was the President's requested, and House subcommittee approved, 4.8% increase for the HOPWA program, appropriating $300.1 million. The bill sets aside $1.485 million for technical assistance and an additional $1.485 million for the Working Capital Fund. It is still unclear as to when the Senate will begin work on HUD appropriations.

Representative Jerrold Nadler (8th-NY) offered an amendment to increase the funding level for the HOPWA program for FY07. Although the amendment was subsequently withdrawn, the Congressman along with Rep. Crowley (another co-sponsor of the HOPWA letter) used this opportunity to underscore the importance of the HOPWA program and praise the increase approved by the House HUD Appropriations Subcommittee.

MA and NH HIV/AIDS Advocates Participate in AIDS Watch 2006
AIDS Watch 2006 took place in Washington DC from May 8-10. Twelve HIV/AIDS advocates from Massachusetts and two from New Hampshire joined individuals from all over the country in participating in trainings and visits to congressional and senate offices. Over the course of two days, the New England group met with all twelve New Hampshire and Massachusetts congressional offices, as well as the four senate offices. Special recognition goes to Massachusetts’ Congressman Jim McGovern (Worcester) who spent almost 45 minutes meeting with the advocates in person.
View more info on AIDS Watch on NAPWA's web site (Opens in new window)>>

President Bush’s Budget Increases HOPWA Funding, Cuts Other Housing Programs
In his proposed Fiscal Year 2007 budget, President Bush proposed the highest level of funding for the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) Program since its creation. The $300 million the president called for would begin to address the growing need for housing among individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Although this is a positive step, the $300 million funding is far less what is necessary to respond to the existing need, and is far less than the funding level that the National AIDS Housing Coalition (NAHC) has requested.

Although the President proposed increasing funding for HOPWA, he has also proposed significant cuts in programs that help provide housing for low income and homeless persons living with HIV/AIDS and other disabilities. For the second consecutive year, President Bush has proposed a 50% cut in HUD’s Section 811 Program (the only federal program designed to create housing for persons with disabilities) and the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG).

Read NAHC’s request for increased HOPWA funding in PDF (Opens in new window)>>
View President Bush’s proposed housing budget for FY 2007 (Opens in new window)>>

Senate Appropriations Committee Increases FY 2006 HOPWA Funding
On July 21, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s budget that increased funding for HOPWA by $5 million, bringing the total funding for the program to $287 million. Although this is less than the $290 million appropriated by the House of Representatives, it is a strong signal of the bipartisan support for HOPWA.
Below is AHC’s letter of thanks to New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg for his support of the HOPWA amendment.
View in HTML | View in PDF (Opens in new window)

This fall, HIV/AIDS advocates from all over the country will gather in Washington, D.C., as part of the Campaign To End AIDS (C2EA). The October 8-12 event will be proceeded by bus caravans from all corners of the United States. For more information about C2EA, click here.

House Increases Funding for HOPWA
On June 30, the House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2006 HUD appropriations bill, which contains funding for the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program. AIDS Housing Corporation is pleased that the House rejected proposals to severely cut funding for this important program, and instead passed the Nadler-Crowley-Shays amendment which increased funding for HOPWA by $5 million over the FY 2005 level. Total funding for HOPWA in the final version of the House appropriations bill is $290 million. The Senate is expected to consider this legislation later this summer or during the fall.
AHC’s letter of thanks to House leadership
More information about HOPWA
Information about the Senate appropriations process

Congressional Committee to Consider HOPWA Funding Legislation
On June 15, the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, Judiciary, and the District of Columbia will mark up the appropriations bill that funds the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program. In his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2006, President Bush proposed a $14 million cut in HOPWA. This is in addition to an enacted $13 million cut in FY 2005. Two new jurisdictions will be eligible in FY 2006, bringing the total number of HOPWA jurisdictions up to 124. If President Bush's cut is enacted, the funding level for HOPWA will be $268 million, less than the funding level in FY 2002, when there were 107 jurisdictions.
Click here for more information about HOPWA

New England HIV/AIDS Advocates Participate in AIDS Watch 2005
From May 2-5, a group of advocates from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine traveled to Washington, DC to take part in AIDS Watch 2005. The event drew more than 600 participants from across the country. On May 3 and 4, the New England advocates visited each of the Congressional and Senatorial offices of their state and met with staffers to discuss issues such as HOPWA, Ryan White reauthorization, and HIV Drug Assistance Program (HDAP) funding. The week ended with a march from the National Archives to the White House where 8,500 pairs of shoes were laid out in Lafayette Park.
Photos from AIDS Watch 2005 | More information about AIDS Watch