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The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union had under consideration the bill. (H.R. 4635) making appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, and for other purposes.

• Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I strongly support the Nadler/Shays/Crowley/Horn amendment to increase HOPWA funding by $18 million in the FY 2001 VA/HUD appropriations bill. This additional funding will increase the ability of the HOPWA program to meet current needs while bringing additional newly eligible communities into this effective program.

• The need for housing assistance among those living with HIV/AIDS is greater now than ever. As new treatments and greater access to HIV/AIDS care through the Ryan White CARE Act allow infected individuals to live longer, new HIV infections are continuing at a steady rate. This means that the overall number of people living with HIV/AIDS has grown to its highest level ever. In addition, the new treatments that are extending so many lives involve a complicated regimen of medications, requiring certain medications to be taken at certain times, certain medications to be taken after eating, and still others on an empty stomach. This makes adherence very difficult, and nearly impossible without stable housing.

• As the number of people living with HIV/AIDS increases, so do the number of cities and states qualifying for HOPWA formula grants. At the same time, the rising costs of housing across the country, particularly in urban areas where a large proportion of people living with HIV/AIDS live, make it difficult for HOPWA to maintain current services without funding increases. Despite this increased need HOPWA funding has remained relatively flat over the past 5 years. Increases in the number of eligible jurisdictions means that flat funding is in reality a funding cut for all HOPWA jurisdictions.

• More than 200,000 people with HIV/AIDS are currently in need of houing assistance, and 60 percent of those living with this disease will need housing assistance at some point during their illness.

• HIV prevalence with the homeless population is estimated to be 10 times greater than infection rates in the general population. In addition, homeless individuals are much less likely to have regular access to health care than the general population and are therefore less likely to be tested for HIV than are people with stable housing. One San Francisco study showed that up to 33 percent of homeless individuals who were living with HIV were unaware of being HIV positive.

• HIV/AIDS community policy experts have estimated that unless HOPWA funding is substantially increased, jurisdictions will face decreased service levels and could suffer decreased funding. To avoid these reductions,

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  we must pass this amendment and provide HOPWA with additional funding to ensure that people living with HIV and AIDS have access to the stable housing that is necessary for their medical care.

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