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Next to health care, housing is the number one need cited by people
living with HIV. In fact, for households affected by HIV, housing
IS health care! Recognizing the connection between HIV care and
safe, affordable housing, together with the difficulties of finding,
accessing and maintaining housing, the Minnesota HIV Services Planning
Council funded a systems advocacy position for housing.
People living with HIV often encounter barriers while navigating
the complex health care, social service and housing systems they
need. The Minnesota AIDS Project housing systems advocate works
to make these systems more responsive to the needs of those affected
by HIV - through research, policy recommendations, education and
training.
The housing systems advocate also chairs the Minnesota
HIV Housing Coalition. The HIV Housing Coalition is a group
of individuals and agencies concerned and knowledgeable about housing
issues and options for persons living with HIV in Minnesota. They
meet on a regular basis to share information and support, promote
the development and continuance of housing and related programs
for persons with HIV, and advise funders such as Housing Opportunities
for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) on imminent needs and priorities.
Why would I call the Housing Systems Advocate?
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Housing Systems Advocacy in Action
After hearing concerns from several HIV-positive
tenants at an apartment complex, the housing systems advocate met
with property management and program staff, to discuss the concerns
of the tenants, and explain how certain policies affected the health
and well-being of the tenants.
This meeting resulted not only in a better understanding of the
housing needs and issues faced by HIV-positive households, but also
improved communication between staff and tenants. The management
revised some of the policies that had been at issue, which in turn
resulted in less stress and improved livability for the tenants.
This is just one example of the many types of advocacy and training
in which the systems advocates are involved. Please contact Nicola
Havens, 612-373-9166, nhavens@mnaidsproject.org
for additional information.
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If you are HIV positive and repeatedly encountering the same problems
in finding housing or with your housing provider due to your HIV
status, then you should contact the housing systems advocate. Other
people might be having the same problems and something could be
done about it.
Or maybe you are a case manager or other type of service provider
whose clients are repeatedly encountering a barrier that you think
something should be done about. This might be an area for the systems
advocate to work on.
Do you work in a shelter for people experiencing homelessness,
or a housing program in which you have may have HIV-positive tenants?
Do you work in housing development or an agency that helps people
access housing? Do you feel the staff of your agency would benefit
from training on HIV related issues? Give the systems advocate a
call and we can arrange for a training to fit the needs of your
agency.
Contact Info
Nicola Havens
Housing Systems Advocate
Minnesota AIDS Project
Mailing Address:
1400 Park Avenue South
Minneapolis MN 55404
Email: nhavens@mnaidsproject.org
Phone: 612-373-9166
Fax: 612-341-4057
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