[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 137 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 137


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 25, 2010

 Received and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the lack of adequate housing 
must be addressed as a barrier to effective HIV prevention, treatment, 
   and care, and that the United States should make a commitment to 
providing adequate funding for developing housing as a response to the 
                             AIDS pandemic.

Whereas adequate and secure housing for people with human immunodeficiency virus 
        or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a challenge with 
        global dimensions and adequate housing is one of the greatest unmet 
        needs of persons in the United States with HIV/AIDS;
Whereas growing empirical evidence shows that the socioeconomic circumstances of 
        individuals and groups

              

 and structural factors such as housing status are of equal importance, or 
even greater importance, to health status than medical care and personal 
health behaviors;

Whereas the link between poverty and disparities in HIV risk and health outcomes 
        is well established, and new research findings demonstrate the direct 
        relationship between inadequate housing and greater risk of HIV 
        infection, poor health outcomes, and early death;
Whereas rates of HIV infection are 3 to 16 times higher among persons who are 
        homeless or unstably housed, 70 percent of all persons living with HIV/
        AIDS report a lifetime experience of homelessness or housing 
        instability, and the HIV/AIDS death rate is 7 to 9 times higher for 
        homeless adults than for the general population;
Whereas poor living conditions, including overcrowding and homelessness, 
        undermine safety, privacy, and efforts to promote self-respect, human 
        dignity, and responsible sexual behavior;
Whereas homeless and unstably housed persons are 2 to 6 times more likely to use 
        hard drugs, share needles, or exchange sex for money and housing than 
        similar persons with stable housing, as the lack of stable housing 
        directly impacts the ability of people living in poverty to reduce HIV 
        risk behaviors;
Whereas in spite of the evidence indicating that adequate housing has a direct 
        positive effect on HIV prevention, treatment, and health outcomes, the 
        housing resources devoted to the national response to HIV/AIDS have been 
        inadequate and housing has been largely ignored in policy discussions at 
        the international level; and
Whereas the Congress recognized the housing needs of people with HIV/AIDS in 
        enacting the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program 
        in 1990 as part of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act 
        (Public Law 101-625) and the HOPWA program currently serves 70,000 
        households: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) stable and affordable housing is an essential component 
        of an effective strategy for HIV prevention, treatment, and 
        care; and
            (2) the United States should make a commitment to providing 
        adequate funding for developing housing as a response to the 
        AIDS pandemic.

            Passed the House of Representatives May 24, 2010.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.