Eighteen people—including New York State Senator Tom Duane—were arrested in Manhattan during a protest urging Governor David Paterson to follow through on his promise to improve AIDS housing, according to a joint statement from the New York City AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN) and Voices of Community Activists and Leaders (VOCAL). Advocates blocked traffic in a symbolic “die in” near City Hall. Paterson vetoed a bill that capped the rent of people with HIV/AIDS who receive housing assistance. Under the bill, they would not pay more than 30 percent of their income on rent. After the veto, Paterson promised to find another way to achieve the same goal, but he has yet to do so.

To read the NYCAHN/VOCAL statement, click here.

Watch video of the protest:

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