Demonstration for Housing for People Living with AIDS in DC!

Hundreds of people living with HIV/AIDS are on waiting lists for housing in DC. Join DC Fights Back and demand action from HUD and from the DC Government!

Did you know?

* HIV infection rates are 13-16 times higher among people without stable housing.

* People who found stable housing reduced their risky activities by 50 percent.

* Stable housing allows people with HIV to keep medicine schedules reducing viral loads and the risk of HIV transmission.

Demonstrate for Housing for People Living with AIDS in DC!

World AIDS Day
Monday December 1st
Meet at 825 N. Capitol Street, NE
(Union Station Metro)

Pre-Meeting: Monday November 24th, 7:00 PM, St. Stephens Church, 16th & Newton, NW (Columbia Heights).

For more information visit: www.dcfightsback.org or e-mail matthew@riseup.net, or call (202)486-2488.

Sponsored by: DC Fights Back, the Campaign to End AIDS, Metro Washington Public Health Association, AMSA, Student Global AIDS Campaign.

click here to download the flyer for this event

January 24th: Home Ownership Workshop for People Living with HIV

Are you HIV positive and residing in the District of Columbia? Do you know that you may be eligible for up to $77,000 in downpayment and closing cost assistance if you are a a first-time homebuyer in DC? Do you know the advantages and disadvantages of homeownership? Do you want to learn more about the homebuying process?

If you answered yes to these questions, then you may be eligible to participate in the home prep program and learn how you can become a homeowner.

Housing Counseling Services, Inc. Home Puchase Readiness Empowerment Program (PREP) is sponsoring a workshop on Saturday January 24th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Housing Counseling Services Training Center located at 2410 17th Street NW Suite 100.

Please call Jill Carmichael or Minerva Lazo from Housing Counseling Services, Inc at (202) 667-2681 for more information and to register. All classes are free but seating is limited.

December 11th: Home Ownership Workshop for People Living with HIV

Are you HIV positive and residing in the District of Columbia? Do you know that you may be eligible for up to $77,000 in downpayment and closing cost assistance if you are a a first-time homebuyer in DC? Do you know the advantages and disadvantages of homeownership? Do you want to learn more about the homebuying process?

If you answered yes to these questions, then you may be eligible to participate in the home prep program and learn how you can become a homeowner.

Housing Counseling Services, Inc. Home Puchase Readiness Empowerment Program (PREP) is sponsoring a workshop on Saturday December 11th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Housing Counseling Services Training Center located at 2410 17th Street NW Suite 100.

Please call Jill Carmichael or Minerva Lazo from Housing Counseling Services, Inc at (202) 667-2681 for more information and to register. All classes are free but seating is limited.

Women and Housing in the District of Columbia

The DC Women’s Agenda and The District Alliance for Safe Housing are sponsoring a question and answer forum: “Voices and Choices for Housing for Females.” The forum will take place on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 from 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM at The True Reformer Building located at 1200 U Street NW Washington, DC. Sczerina Perot, Staff Attorney of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, will moderate the panel of individuals who advocate with and for women facing diverse housing challenges.

Ms. Perot will present questions to Peg Hacskaylo, Executive Director, District Alliance for Safe Housing, Inc.; Susan Galbraith, Executive Director, Our Place DC; Kathy Broadway, Addictions Counselor, Ramona’s Way; Francine Triplett, Homeless Advocate, Street Sense; Linda Couch, Deputy Director, National Low Income Housing Coalition; and a representative from Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League.

Participants will learn the housing challenges and solutions facing a diverse group of women including: senior citizens, women struggling with homelessness, survivors of domestic violence, GLBTQ women and girls, former inmates, and women who suffer from substance abuse. The topics discussed will range from pending legislation and efforts for passage, successes and failures in working with the DC City Council and Government, and the best practices employed by the various advocacy organizations.

“We need to all work together to solve the housing issues women face through their lives. This forum will be the first step toward that goal,” according to Sczerina Perot, the moderator of the forum. “Problems of homelessness and affordable housing are rarely seen through a gender lens; this will be an opportunity for us to analyze the problem from this perspective."

November 17th: Home Ownership Workshop for People Living with HIV

Are you HIV positive and residing in the District of Columbia? Do you know that you may be eligible for up to $77,000 in downpayment and closing cost assistance if you are a a first-time homebuyer in DC? Do you know the advantages and disadvantages of homeownership? Do you want to learn more about the homebuying process?

If you answered yes to these questions, then you may be eligible to participate in the home prep program and learn how you can become a homeowner.

Housing Counseling Services, Inc. Home Puchase Readiness Empowerment Program (PREP) is sponsoring a workshop on Saturday November 17th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Housing Counseling Services Training Center located at 2410 17th Street NW Suite 100.

Please call Jill Carmichael or Minerva Lazo from Housing Counseling Services, Inc at (202) 667-2681 for more information and to register. All classes are free but seating is limited.

DC Fights Back Housing Committee Update

There is a new yahoo group set up for the DC Fights Back Housing Committee. Hopefully it will help facilitate work on the issues raised by the Housing Breakout group at the DC HIV/AIDS Speakout.

To join the new Yahoo Group, click here.

The full URL is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dcfightsback-housing/.

Transgender Shelter Access Training

The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness with the support of several community and advocacy groups, is coordinating a Transgender Shelter Access Training on July 11th, 2007 from 9:30am-12:00pm. The training will take place at the Saint Elizabeth Campus, 801 East Building, 2700 MLK Ave SE.

This will be an opportunity for individuals working in shelters to build on those skills necessary to address the needs of transgender clients and effectively implement the policy. To read the Transgender Policy document, click here.

For more information or to attend the training, please contact Cornell Chappelle.

Speakout Reports: Housing Breakout Session

Several organizations co-sponsored a DC HIV/AIDS Speakout on May 17th, 2007. I will be posting the reports from each of the breakout groups throughout the next week. The final outcome document from the Speakout will be published on the DC Fights Back Website. If you'd like to get involved, please be sure to join this yahoo group.

The Housing Breakout Group had an intense discussion. Participants included our amazing moderator Kristine Campbell, Carter Hewgley, the Health and Human Services Program Analyst for the Office of the City Administrator, and longtime activist Everett Foy who volunteered to head up the new DC Fights Back Housing Working Group.

Many of the concerns raised were things I heard back at the November 2006 DC Housing Symposium. Problems the group include the HOPWA waiting list, a lack of TBRA (tenant based rental assistance) providers, an unruly and difficult process for accessing various housing programs, unsuccessful transitional housing, and a lack of trained monitors.

The Housing Breakout Session came up with several concrete recommendations, which I hope the Housing Working Group will work on in the future. Recommendations included better training for monitors, conducting a needs assesment, and dveloping a strategy for community involvement. Perhaps the most ambitious goal set by this group is to take matters into their own hands and identify and develop unused buildings for for people living with HIV/AIDS.

I look forward to seeing how the work of this group progresses. And I also signed up for the working group, so I help to lend a hand.

Click here to download the full flip-chart notes from the Housing Breakout Group

DC HIV/AIDS Housing Symposium

Today I'm at Gallaudet University blogging live from the DC HIV/AIDS Housing Symposium. The focus on the morning panel was 'thinking outside of the box'. The focus is on thinking creatively and exploring all the options available in DC to meet the needs of people living with HIV in need of housing.

Part of that is looking beyond HIV/AIDS housing programs (when those programs are maxed out) and looking for other housing programs individuals may be eligible for. This includes housing programs supporting people in recovery, those with mental health issues, re-entry programs for folks who have been recently incarcerated, programs for veterans. In short, exploring every possible option for every possible individual. With the number of different programs, agencies, and guidelines, this can be an incredibly daunting task.

Another way to think outside the box? DC CARE Consortium announced that they are in the process of developing a new program with the support of AHPP. The program would provide mortgage and utility assistance to people living with HIV and are at risk of losin their homes. It's exciting to see this new option that will help people living with HIV before they become homeless.

Another topic was the importance of moving people into permanent housing when possible. One of the panelists from the Department of Housing and Urban Development stated a long term goal of moving 80% of HOPWA (Housing for People with HIV/AIDS) clients into more permanent housing option, using programs like Home Investment Partnerships (The HOME program).

Sadly, however, several of the programs discussed today (Shelter Plus, Section 8-11 Supportive Housing, etc...) are maxed out. Which is probably why so many people are here to learn what options are still out there. From where I'm sitting though, it seems like the demand is ging to exceed the capacity for a long time to come.

To see more pictures from today's symposium, click here.

DC HIV/AIDS Housing Summit

The DC HIV/AIDS Housing Symposium will take place November 29th, 2006. Come join us to learn about local and National HIV/AIDS Housing programs available
to persons living with HIV/AIDS.

This event is sponsored by Sponsored by the DC CARE Consortium, DC Department of Health, Administration for HIV/AIDS Policy and Programs.

DC HIV/AIDS Housing Symposium
Wednesday November 29th, 2006
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Kellog Conference Center
Gallaudet University
800 Florida Avenue, NE
Washington, DC

** Click here to download the flyer for this event **

To pre-register contact Keith by e-mail or at 202 223 9550 ext 10.