March 7, 2008

TURNING THE TIDE IN TAIWAN

King and Ai-Lan

In 2006, 22 Taiwanese people living with HIV/AIDS were facing lawful eviction from a shelter in a building rented by an AIDS group called Harmony Home. Why? Because neighbors didn't want people with HIV/AIDS in the neighborhood.

Fortunately, this heinous event was reversed by Taiwan's high court in 2007. What's more, the Harmony Home incident prompted the Taiwanese government to pass the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Prevention and Patients' Rights Protection Act in July 2007, securing the rights of HIV-positive people to housing, care, and equal protection under the law. But Taiwanese Deputy Minister of Labor Affairs Tsao Ai-Lan believes more than the law needs changing in her home country.

Ai-Lan paid a visit to Housing Works on Tuesday because she wants AIDS organizations in her home country to learn how to be financially self-sufficient. Such independence would allow Harmony Home to buy—rather than rent—housing and not be subjected to the whims of AIDS discrimination (the Taiwanese government does not provide grants that would allow them to buy property). Ai-Lan's idea is timely: HIV/AIDS is a growing problem in Taiwan. In 2006 there were 12,474 people with living with HIV and 2,818 people with living with AIDS. And since 2003, the number of new cases has roughly doubled each year—mainly spreading through contaminated needle-sharing among intravenous drug users.

While universal healthcare means that antiretrovirals are available to everyone and harm reduction efforts are starting to get off the ground, there are other issues exacerbating the AIDS crisis. Stigma and discrimination remain a huge barrier, as the Harmony House debacle showed, and there is little grassroots momentum among HIV positive people.

Taking 'everything' back home

During her morning visit, Ai-Lan made stops at the Housing Works Thrift Shops and the Housing Works Bookstore Café. Such enterprises account for almost 40 percent of Housing Works' $38 million annual budget, an important component in the organization's ability to function independently.

Ai-Lan asked Housing Works' Senior Vice President of Business Enterprise Matthew Bernardo and Housing Works President and CEO Charles King pointed questions about HIV/AIDS, social enterprise and advocacy: "If you're thinking about how to make money, how do you serve people?";"In New York City you have better benefits for people with AIDS. Is it because you advocate?"; and "Does the Christian religion matter a lot in your country?"

When Ai-Lan was asked what she'll bring back to Taiwan from her visit at Housing Works, she said, "Everything!"

The Housing Works AIDS Issues Update is reported, written and edited by Diana Scholl, David Thorpe, Christine Campbell, terri smith-caronia and Housing Works staff. Send your feedback, leads and story ideas to d.scholl@housingworks.org.

You can reach us by phone at 212-967-1500 x168, by fax at 212-868-4222, and by email at d.scholl@housingworks.org. Housing Works provides housing, advocacy and services to homeless people living with AIDS and HIV. Housing Works is the nation's largest community-based AIDS organization and the nation's largest minority-controlled AIDS organization.

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