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Tell Your Congressional Representatives to Sign On to Fiscal Year 2008 HOPWA Letter Today
Action is urgently needed to increase funding to the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) program in Fiscal Year (FY) 2008.
The president’s FY 2008 proposed budget calls for increasing HOPWA funding by $14 million to a total of $300 million. In late March, Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Joseph Crowley (D-NY) and Christopher Murphy (D-Conn.) authored a “Dear Colleague” letter that requested $454 million for HOPWA in FY 2008. The deadline for signing on has now been extended to April 20th.
HOPWA is the only federal housing program specifically designed to provide cities and states hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic with the resources necessary to provide essential housing resources to those living with HIV/AIDS. Despite dramatic increases in the numbers of people now living with HIV/AIDS who are in desperate need of housing assistance, federal funding for HOPWA has steadily declined since FY 2004.
Currently, only 64 members of Congress have signed on to Dear Colleague letter. If your Member does not appear on this list, please write to them immediately.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: HOPWA program funding in Fiscal Year 2008
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
As your constituent, I urge you to join your colleagues in signing onto a Program Support Letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging a funding level of $454 million for the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program for FY 2008.
HOPWA enjoys wide bipartisan support as the only federal housing program that specifically provides cities and states hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic with the resources to address the housing crisis facing people living with HIV/AIDS.
Despite dramatic increases in the numbers of people now living with HIV/AIDS and in desperate need of housing assistance, federal funding for HOPWA has steadily declined since FY 2004.
In FY 2007 alone, HOPWA funds will support the provision of housing assistance to over 67,000 households in 122 jurisdictions across 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia through competitive and formula grants. Unfortunately, the demand for housing accommodations for people living with HIV/AIDS continues to greatly outweigh the resources currently available.
In Program Year 2004, Congress funded HOPWA at $294 million. At that time, an estimated 450,000 people with HIV/AIDS were in need of housing assistance. Today, under the existing budget authority, HOPWA is struggling at pre-FY 2003 levels - $286 million. During the last four years of actual spending reductions, the numbers of people living with HIV/AIDS who need vital housing assistance has increased sharply.
I urge you to please join Congressmen Nadler, Crowley and Murphy by signing on to the HOPWA Program Support Letter. Please contact Jillian Youngblood in Congressman Nadler's Office at (202) 225-5635 to sign the support letter and support vital increases to housing services for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Sincerely,
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