Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Housing, Security and HIV
Lack of affordable housing is a big issue in Vancouver. Though there are condos being built just about everywhere, most are unaffordable. Rent is ever increasing as is the cost of living (food/grocery prices are on the rise now too). A number of studies suggest that a high percentage of people living with HIV are also living in poverty, often on the streets. One thing is for sure, for those living in the lower income brackets, the rising cost of living in Vancouver is becoming increasingly challenging. How can a person living with HIV/AIDS even think about their well being when they lack basic needs, such as affordable housing and adequate food? What are our priorities these days? What are your thoughts on this important issue? Is anyone doing anything about this?
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4 comments:
Their are limitations on services that people with hiv can access to give them sustainability and leisure. Its sad that even HIV societies like pwa, dr peters etc, put more limitations on who can access it. its only another suppression tactic put upon them by a organization that is staffed by self profiting - arrogant people.
Wings Housing & Maclaren Housing run buildings and have a few (too few!) portable subsidies. We need more. The government should be subsidizing the building of more co-ops, too.
HIV Societies have certain limitations like funding or in the case of PWA, our mandate is to empower persons living with HIV, so our many of our services are limited to HIV-positive persons only. I do not think staff are arrogant or self profiting. The previous commentor may have had issues with some staff so not fair to say all are arrogant.
One comment concerned limits imposed. I would like to know where such experience occurred as I suspect there's a history. Speaking about BCPWA’s programs and services: access is not determined by staff but by members through their elected Board and the Board committee structure. Staff implements the members' wishes through this structure. Government grants plus donations through events like the AIDS Walk provide moneys for disbursal and overhead, and certain limitations must stem from how much money is available.
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