On Thursday, Bill de Blasio and Andrew Cuomo unveiled a new affordable housing plan for low-income New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. The initiative will cap the rent of those receiving housing subsidies at 30 percent of their total income. The bill was first introduced four years ago, but was opposed at the time by Mayor Bloomberg and eventually vetoed by Governor David Patterson. But support has shifted under new leadership, with the new Mayor directly calling the program "the mark of a compassionate city."
The city will be paying for two-thirds of the program's cost—an estimated $25 million. However, advocates argue that the program will pay for itself in a reduction of emergency room visits, as well as reducing the burden of emergency shelters. According to the Observer, an "estimated 10,000 low-income New Yorkers with HIV/AIDS are expected to benefit from the income cap," with rent making up more than 70 percent of the disability income for many.
· "With New Mayor and Different Governor at the Helm, Increased HIV/AIDS Housing Subsidy to Become a Reality" [NYO]
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