April 14, 2008

California ASOs Hard Hit by Funding Shift

Funding shifts stemming from the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006 have resulted in decreased resources for AIDS service organizations in San Bernardino, California, and surrounding counties, southern California newspaper the Daily Bulletin reports (dailybulletin.com, 4/13).

In accordance with this law, 75 percent of federal Ryan White funding must go toward medical, substance abuse and other services, while no more than 25 percent can be spent on social services such as food vouchers, transportation and case management. As a result, ASOs in the San Bernardino region have been forced to reduce the amount of individualized services provided to people living with HIV and dealing with other issues, such as homelessness and drug addiction.

For example, the Daily Bulletin reports, funding provided to one local ASO, the Inland AIDS Project, dropped from $1.5 million in 2004 to 1 million in 2008. “We’ve closed some offices and have not been able to provide case management at the level it is needed, and there is not as much funding for AIDS awareness, which is not a good thing,” the organization’s Chief Executive Officer Joy Gould told the newspaper.

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gary pollock, victorville, 2008-04-16 04:28:26
IAP in the high desert shouldn't have had the money anyway. It's all about profit with them.