III 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 162 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that stable and affordable housing is 

an essential component of an effective strategy for the prevention, treatment, and care of human immunodeficiency virus, and that the United 

States should make a commitment to providing adequate funding for 

the development of housing as a response to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome pandemic. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 4, 2011 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. FRANKEN, Mr. KERRY, Mr. 

LAUTENBERG, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. SANDERS, Ms. SNOWE, Ms. 

STABENOW, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, and Mr. LIEBERMAN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Banking, 

Housing, and Urban Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that stable and affordable 

housing is an essential component of an effective strategy 

for the prevention, treatment, and care of human immunodeficiency virus, and that the United States should 

make a commitment to providing adequate funding for 

the development of housing as a response to the acquired 

immunodeficiency syndrome pandemic. 

Whereas adequate and secure housing for people with human 

immunodeficiency virus or acquired immunodeficiency 

syndrome (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘HIV/AIDS’’) 

is a challenge with global dimensions, and adequate housVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:52 May 05, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR162.IS SR162

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•SRES 162 IS 

ing is one of the greatest unmet needs of people in the 

United States with HIV/AIDS; 

Whereas growing empirical evidence shows that socioeconomic 

status and structural factors such as access to adequate 

housing are key determinants of health; 

Whereas the link between poverty, disparities in the risk of 

human immunodeficiency virus (referred to in this resolution as ‘‘HIV’’) infection, and health outcomes is well established, and new research demonstrates the direct relationship between inadequate housing and greater risk of 

HIV infection, poor health outcomes, and early death; 

Whereas rates of HIV infection are 3 to 16 times higher 

among people who are homeless or have an unstable 

housing situation, 70 percent of all people living with 

HIV/AIDS report an experience of homelessness or housing instability during their lifetime, and the HIV/AIDS 

death rate is 7 to 9 times higher for homeless adults than 

for the general population; 

Whereas poor living conditions, including overcrowding and 

homelessness, undermine safety, privacy, and efforts to 

promote self-respect, human dignity, and responsible sexual behavior; 

Whereas people who are homeless or have an unstable housing situation are 2 to 6 times more likely to use hard 

drugs, share needles, or exchange sex for money and 

housing than similar persons with stable housing, because 

the lack of stable housing directly impacts the ability of 

people living in poverty to reduce HIV risk behaviors; 

Whereas, in spite of the evidence indicating that adequate 

housing has a direct positive effect on HIV prevention, 

treatment, and health outcomes, the housing resources 


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•SRES 162 IS 

devoted to the national response to HIV/AIDS have been 

inadequate, and housing has been largely ignored in policy discussions at the international level; and 

Whereas, in 1990, Congress recognized the housing needs of 

people with HIV/AIDS when it enacted the AIDS Housing Opportunity Act (42 U.S.C. 12901 et seq.), commonly referred to as the ‘‘Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program’’ or ‘‘HOPWA Program’’, as 

part of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (Public Law 101–625; 104 Stat. 4079), and the 

HOPWA program currently serves approximately 60,000 

households: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that— 

2 (1) stable and affordable housing is an essential 

3 component of an effective strategy for human im4 munodeficiency virus prevention, treatment, and 

5 care; and 

6 (2) the United States should make a commit7 ment to providing adequate funding for the develop8 ment of housing as a response to the acquired im9 munodeficiency syndrome pandemic. 

Æ 


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