We Cannot Be Silent: Protect Housing, Protect Lives

 

I serve on the Board of the U.S. International Council on Disabilities (USICD), and I have spent my career advancing policies that allow people with disabilities to live in and contribute to their communities.

Those of us in the disability community know this: we must frequently and forcefully oppose cuts to federal programs that promote community inclusion. These programs are not optional. They are the difference between stability and crisis, between independence and institutionalization, between life and death.

One such program now under threat is Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA).

The President’s budget proposes to zero out the $529 million HOPWA program, suggesting that people could instead rely on the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program. That substitution is misguided—and dangerous.

HOPWA is not simply an emergency response. It is a long-term housing stabilization program. It provides not only housing, but also access to essential supports—mental health services, career assistance, and transportation. These are the very services that allow people to regain stability and move forward with their lives.

Because of HOPWA’s success, low-income people living with HIV are able to secure stable housing, manage their health, and live independently. The program has strong bipartisan support and a proven track record. Last year alone, HOPWA helped house 55,000 families across the United States.

Let’s be clear about what is at stake.

HIV, if untreated, remains a communicable, incurable chronic condition that affects the immune system for life. As people age with HIV—most are now over 50—complications increase, and care must be comprehensive and continuous. Housing is foundational to that care.

HOPWA does more than provide shelter. It prevents homelessness, supports families, and ensures that thousands of children have a stable place to live each year.

And the outcomes are measurable.

For people living with HIV, stable housing is associated with a 20% greater likelihood of achieving viral suppression. When individuals are virally suppressed, they cannot transmit HIV to others. That means healthier individuals, stronger communities, and real progress toward ending the epidemic.

This is what effective federal policy looks like: targeted, proven, and humane.

As the Rev. Lauren Banks, Executive Director of the National HIV/AIDS Housing Coalition, put it:

“We call on Congress to continue supporting the HOPWA program and fund it at $600 million in FY27 so we can continue to end homelessness and HIV simultaneously.”

We should listen.

Eliminating HOPWA would not save money in any meaningful way—it would simply shift costs elsewhere, increase homelessness, worsen health outcomes, and undermine decades of bipartisan progress.

We have seen this pattern before. When critical supports are cut, the consequences are immediate and severe—especially for those already at risk.

The disability community understands that community living depends on sustained, thoughtful investment. HOPWA embodies that principle.

Congress must act.

Protect HOPWA.

Strengthen it.

Fund it at $600 million.

Because housing is not just a program line item—it is the foundation for health, dignity, and full participation in society. We should speak now.

Thank you.

Common Grounder