People with AIDS are worried they could lose their housing subsidies as part of a shift in New Haven’s proposed budget.
New Haven receives $1.289 million through the federal Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS grant program, money that’s also dispersed to the Wallingford and Meriden areas.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker is proposing shifting more funding to New Haven-based groups, causing clients elsewhere to worry about their own vouchers.
“I don’t know what happen if this program is done,” Julian Aricta, a Colombian seeking refugee status in the U.S., said.
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Arcita emigrated in 2022 because he was a gay journalist in a country where both groups of people face threats and violence. But he also has AIDS and he wanted to seek better treatment.
“This program save, this save life,” Aricta said. “It's more important to stay calm, take your pills.”
He’s among 27 people who receive a HOPWA subsidy from Naugatuck-based Independence Northwest. The nonprofit organization, along with StayWell, each face a 50% cut in funding as part of Elicker’s budget.
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Elicker said that would shift $157,500 back to other organizations to other similar nonprofits who have higher demand.
Congress increased HOPWA funding to New Haven by less than $10,000.
“Unfortunately, there is significant unmet need in our region as a whole, and it is understandable why service providers would be advocating for more funding,” Elicker said in a statement.
Independence Northwest Executive Director Eileen Healy said the proposal would mean as many as 20 people – clients and their families – would lose vouchers.
New Haven’s Board of Alders will vote on the proposal in early June, giving people only a month to figure out what to do if they lose subsidies on July 1.
Healy is afraid many of those people would lose their homes and wouldn’t be able to find a more affordable option in time.
“We had a meeting last week, people were crying and upset,” she said, adding Independence Northwest would use a lottery to determine who loses a voucher.
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-3rd District) said she’s asked Elicker not to take subsidies from people who already receive them.
“We need to work to ensure that the entire region is well-served and that these funds are distributed equitably,” she said in a statement.
Healy suggests pushing this shift off for a year, giving her organization time to help beneficiaries find alternatives. In some cases, they may even be able to find jobs that pay better income.
The Board of Alders’ Finance Committee is holding a public hearing on the budget on Wednesday beginning at 7 p.m. at City Hall.