HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WITH HIV/AIDS

Affordable housing for people with HIV/AIDS is vital. A study in New York indicated that once in supportive housing formerly homeless individuals were four times more likely to seek medical care than those in case management alone. 

Homelessness not only puts individuals with HIV/AIDS at a high risk of contracting an infection, it also makes obtaining and using common HIV/AIDS medications more difficult. Anti-retroviral medications used to treat HIV come with complicated regimens. Without stable housing, the likelihood of taking medication on a regular schedule, which is crucial for proper treatment, is virtually impossible.

Lack of ongoing medical care leads to frequent, lengthy hospitalizations, which are much more costly.  It also leads to premature death.

Conditions associated with homelessness make HIV prevention and control especially difficult. 

Limited access to medical care severely restricts HIV/AIDS prevention, risk reduction and treatment for homeless persons.