June 30, 2008 |
Contacts:
Krishna Stone, 212.367.1016
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Gay Men's Health Crisis alarmed at city budget cuts to HIV/AIDS services
Calls for City Leaders to restore funding
Much needed HIV/AIDS programs and services took a drastic $5.5 million hit as Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council approved a budget that eliminated essential funding for HIV/AIDS services and prevention for Fiscal Year 2009. By one calculation, the City's community-based AIDS service organizations will receive 42% less funding than in the previous fiscal year.
The cuts to programs including HIV prevention and education programs, HIV rapid testing, clean-syringe distribution, Hepatitis C screening, and substance abuse prevention and education will mean that those at risk may stay at risk.
Despite an overall decrease in new HIV infections in New York City over the past few years, vulnerable populations such as young women and young men who have sex with men (MSM)—especially in black and Latino communities—have seen marked increases in infection rates. New HIV infections in young women increased 6% between 2005 and 2006, and new infections in young men who have sex with men increased 33% from 2001 to 2006. The City's cuts will make it more difficult to reach the communities where people are at highest risk of infection.
The funding cuts approved also eliminated critical funds for housing and legal services for those who are HIV-positive. New York City suffered significant cuts in federal dollars for legal services in 2006 due to changes in the Ryan White CARE Act, making the city cuts to housing and legal services particularly devastating. Organizations will now be forced to find alternate sources of funding or reduce services to HIV-positive New Yorkers in desperate need of supportive services.
Some funding initiatives such as the HIV Prevention and Education Initiative serving communities of color and the HIV Prevention and Health Literacy Initiative for Seniors were fully restored to the same level of city funding as last year. However, even these programs will face overall reductions due to a lower matching rate for state dollars.
"We are deeply disappointed that the Mayor and City Council did not adequately address HIV and AIDS in this year's city budget. Communities that have been the most significantly affected by the epidemic will be devastated by the loss of services, and those at risk will be increasingly vulnerable as a result of these reductions," said Dr. Marjorie Hill, Chief Executive Officer of Gay Men's Health Crisis. "We urge the Mayor and City Council to recognize the impact of this budget and enact a budget modification to restore critical HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services for New Yorkers," added Hill.
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About Gay Men's Health Crisis
Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) is a not-for-profit, volunteer-supported and community-based organization committed to national leadership in the fight against AIDS. We provide services and programs to over 15,000 men, women and families that are living with or affected by HIV/AIDS in New York City, and outreach and education to hundreds of thousands throughout the world.
© 2008 Gay Men's Health Crisis
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