SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 39--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE CONGRESS THAT STABLE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR THE PREVENTION, TREATMENT, AND CARE...; Congressional Record Vol. 155, No. 130
(Senate - September 15, 2009)
Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Page S9381]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 39--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE CONGRESS
THAT STABLE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF AN
EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR THE PREVENTION, TREATMENT, AND CARE OF HUMAN
IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS, AND THAT THE UNITED STATES SHOULD MAKE A
COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF HOUSING
AS A RESPONSE TO THE ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME PANDEMIC
Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself and Mr. Schumer) submitted the following
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Banking,
Housing, and Urban Affairs:
S. Con. Res. 39
Whereas adequate and secure housing for people with human
immunodeficiency virus or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
(referred to in this resolution as ``HIV/AIDS'') is a
challenge with global dimensions, and adequate housing is one
of the greatest unmet needs of people in the United States
with HIV/AIDS;
Whereas growing empirical evidence shows that the
socioeconomic status and structural factors such as access to
adequate housing are key determinants of health;
Whereas the link between poverty, disparities in the risk
of human immunodeficiency virus (referred to in this
resolution as ``HIV'') infection, and health outcomes is well
established, and new research demonstrates 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 people who are homeless or have an unstable housing
situation, 70 percent of all people living with HIV/AIDS
report an experience of homelessness or housing instability
during their lifetime, 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 people who are homeless or have an unstable housing
situation 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, because 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, in 1990, Congress recognized the housing needs of
people with HIV/AIDS when it enacted the AIDS Housing
Opportunity Act (42 U.S.C. 12901 et seq.), commonly referred
to as the ``Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS
Program'' or ``HOPWA Program'', as part of the Cranston-
Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (Public Law 101-
625), and the HOPWA program currently serves approximately
70,000 households: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives
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 the development of housing as a response
to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome pandemic.
____________________
