1. www.hivlawproject.org Housing Needs: A Legal Advocacy Perspective Presentation to IOC Committee HIV Planning Council January 4, 2012 Tracy L. Welsh, Esq. Executive Director

2. www.hivlawproject.org HIV Law Project Legal & advocacy organization for PLWHAs Handled over 22,000 individual cases as well as several class-action lawsuits We have handled thousands of housing and eviction cases We handle about 1,000 cases each year  Roughly 500 new cases opened annually  In 2011, we received roughly 300 calls about housing-related problems through our housing hotline, and opened 99 cases

3. www.hivlawproject.org Our Housing Services Eviction prevention Supported by benefits advocacy Connection to longer-term social support services We do NOT: –Provide housing –Locate housing –Pay rental arrears or issue housing grants

4. www.hivlawproject.org Our Housing Objectives Preserve stable housing through eviction prevention, arrears advocacy & income maintenance Expand eligibility for housing options for undocumented clients Improve health and safety of clients’ housing Connect clients to housing service providers if need emergency housing, housing placement, rental assistance, etc.

5. www.hivlawproject.org Housing Stability FY 11 All clients assessed at intake for housing stability 487 new cases, about 10% or 48 clients identified as living in SRO, shelter or with friends –Of those 48, only 5 presented with housing as their primary legal issue We opened 99 new housing cases –Thus 142 clients, or nearly 30% of our cases involve clients who are either homeless, marginally housed or at-risk for homelessness

6. www.hivlawproject.org Common Eviction Case Non-payment of rent Holdovers – including chronic non-payment, hoarding, nuisance

7. www.hivlawproject.org Some Specific Recommendations Advocate for broader interpretation of eligible legal services under RW – Eviction and immigration Create more Ryan White funded housing programs –Mentally ill, substance users, MICA

8. www.hivlawproject.org Some Specific Recommendations Enhance RW rental assistance funds for those not HASA-eligible –Include start-up funds, rental arrears and on-going rental assistance –Avoid time limits Create or enhance resources for financial management services –Mentally ill, substance users, MICA

9. www.hivlawproject.org Other Possible Solutions Advocate for HOPWA to fund eviction prevention efforts Enhance resources for active housing placement assistance (not just info. and referral), consider allocating funds for start up costs Fund housing “education” services under RW, which would allow clients to obtain legal information about their housing rights

10. www.hivlawproject.org Other Possible Solutions Create independent education/ mediation program for clients’ facing eviction from publicly supported housing models –Scattered-Site Programs –SROs

11. www.hivlawproject.org Contact Information Tracy L. Welsh, Esq. Executive Director HIV Law Project twelsh@hivlawproject.org 212-577-3001