The $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus
package approved by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump
includes $155 million for HIV programs.
According to the Washington
Blade, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program will receive a $90
million boost, while Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS
(HOPWA) will receive $65 million.
The money must be used by September 30,
2022.
The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which
is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA), serves half a million people, more than half of the people
living with diagnosed HIV in the United States. It provides essential
support services and medications to low-income HIV+ people who are
uninsured.
HOPWA provides rental assistance to
low-income people living with HIV.
Lauren Killelea, director of public
policy at the National AIDS Housing Coalition, told the Blade
that HOPWA “can not only provide permanent housing but also
short-term assistance as well as critical supports like access to
transportation and nutrition services.”
People living HIV could be at a higher
risk of contracting COVID-19, the disease caused by the new
coronavirus, if they are not receiving appropriate care and are in
need of housing.