The Coming Home Project: Helping HIV-positive Ex-offenders from Prison Walls to Permanent Housing

Abstract

Homelessness and history of incarceration are often linked for a complex variety of reasons. For the HIV-positive inmate, homelessness upon release can be a serious barrier to accessing a continuum of health care services and receiving regular medical treatment. In New York City, housing subsidies exist for individuals who meet criteria for AIDS (although there is still unmet need). However, HIV-positive individuals who do not seroconvert are often ineligible for such benefits. HIV-positive ex-prisoners, who face additional discrimination due to their criminal justice involvement, can easily get lost in the cracks of the housing services system. In this presentation we will describe The Fortune Society's Coming Home Project, a HUD/HOPWA-funded program designed to help homeless HIV-positive ex-prisoners secure permanent housing in their communities.