April 26, 2007
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
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All hands on deck for NYC's HIV coalition. |
This March more than a dozen of New York City’s HIV/AIDS coalitions came together for an unprecedented meeting with an unprecedented goal: Cooperate about FY 2007-2008 City Council funding requests in order to ensure that New York’s intricate web of HIV/AIDS services doesn’t get torn apart by ever-shifting and rapidly declining federal HIV resources.
The historic summit--spearheaded by the Community Resources Exchange, the New York AIDS Coalition and the New York City Communities of Color HIV/AIDS Coalition (NYCCOCHAC)--opened the door for true transparency among the coalitions, whether brand-spankin’ new to the city budget process or veteran budget warriors. Each coalition bravely and boldly laid bare its needs and worked with others to collapse and coordinate budget request and avoid duplication.
Instead of the competition that the yearly dance with the City Council sometimes fosters, this transparency created an inspiring sense of cooperation. The goal that all the coalitions agreed upon? Shoring up support services that have been threatened by the federal government and getting city dollars out to the at-risk communities in a timely fashion in order to protect NYC’s safety net of HIV/AIDS services.
Every participating HIV/AIDS coalition that has or will be seeking funding during this FY2007 – 2008 city budget has agreed to keep other groups informed about this year’s City Council process for funding requests, as well as share information about the progress and challenges each coalition may face during this budget season. Coalitions currently involved include:
- 618 Coalition
- 718 Coalition
- Brooklyn Linkage to Care Coalition (BLCC)
- Brooklyn United Communities Coalition (BUCC)
- Counseling, Testing and Referral in the Faith-based Communities
- HASA For ALL Campaign
- Injection Drug Users Health Alliance (IDUHA)
- New York AIDS Coalition (NYAC)
- New York City AIDS/HIV Over Fifty (NYAHOF)
- New York City AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN)
- New York City Communities of Color HIV/AIDS Coalition (NYCCOCHAC)
- New York City HIV Legal
- Women’s HIV Collaborative of NY (WHCONY)
If you would like more information about this year’s NYC budget mobilization or if you would like to add your time and your voice to this powerful effort, please contact terri smith-caronia at 347-473-7418 or by email at smith-caronia@housingworks.org.