On Monday, September 25, 2017, from 2:00 - 4:00 PM EDT, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy will host a community listening session webinar, “Reducing Homelessness among People Living with HIV to Reach Our National Goals.” The primary goal of this webinar is to obtain input from national, state, and local leaders, service providers, and community members including people living with HIV and those who have been, or are currently, homeless about how best to reduce homelessness among people living with HIV.
People living with HIV are at greater risk for homelessness. Throughout many communities, people living with HIV risk losing their housing due to factors such as increased medical costs and limited incomes or reduced ability to keep working due to related illnesses. Securing stable housing is a key part of achieving successful HIV health outcomes.
Homeless and unstably housed people living with HIV are less likely to achieve viral suppression. With safe, decent, and affordable housing, people with HIV are better able to access comprehensive health care and supportive services, get on HIV treatment, take their HV medication consistently, and see their health care provider regularly.
The National HIV/AIDS Strategy sets a national goal for reducing homelessness among people living with HIV. The National/HIV AIDS Strategy (NHAS) sets a target of reducing the percentage of persons in HIV medical care who are homeless to 5% or less by 2020.=
However, these results are going in the wrong direction – homelessness among persons in HIV medical care increased from 7.9% in 2013 to 9.0% in 2014. This latest data indicates that we have moved further away from 2020 NHAS goal, signaling the need for thoughtful efforts to reverse that trend and make up lost ground.
This webinar will engage Federal staff and key community stakeholders whose work involves homelessness prevention, housing stability, HIV prevention, care, treatment or other issues affecting the lives of people living with HIV and those who are at risk for infection in a discussion to:
- Review and obtain input about the barriers to stable housing and challenges that community members face in reducing homelessness among people living with HIV.
- Hear how community leaders and members have successfully worked to address homelessness among people living with HIV.
- Receive recommendations from stakeholders participating in the webinar for consideration by the NHAS Federal Interagency Workgroup and relevant Federal agencies that have the potential to reduce homelessness among people living with HIV and achieve the goals of the Strategy.
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