In pockets of the country where affordable housing is particularly low, residents also have trouble getting proper health treatment—suggesting a link between housing stability and better health outcomes. A new study of 9,500 residents in Miami with HIV/AIDs, which was conducted by a task force called
Getting to Zero, shows that 30 percent of those who were homeless or in temporary housing had higher viral loads.
Miami-Dade recently ranked number one in the nation for new HIV infections, which prompted the study. The city receives federal funding to help meet the housing needs of people with HIV/AIDS. But an increase in rents in the county have led to fewer people receiving aid, according to the report. An estimated 10,787 residents are in need of housing assistance. However, the city was only able to provide 1,032 with vouchers. The county has also recently discontinued a program to help sick residents catch up on rent or avoid foreclosure.
The average income for a person with HIV/AIDS living in Miami-Dade County was just $1,204 a month. A survey of respondents with HIV/AIDS in the county showed that 20 percent were either homeless or living in temporary housing—bunking with family or friends, renting a room by the week or month, or other transitional living quarters. For those who did have more stable housing, 13 percent reported facing discrimination on the basis of their HIV/AIDS status, sexual orientation, or status as an ex-offender. Eleven percent said their landlord had disclosed their HIV/AIDS status to others without their consent, motivating them to want to move.
Source: “Miami’s Affordable Housing Crisis Is Also Making Dade’s HIV/AIDs Problem Worse,” Miami New Times (May 23, 2017)
