IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 137 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the lack of adequate housing 
must be addressed as a barrier to effective HIV prevention, treatment, 
and care, and that the United States should make a commitment to 
providing adequate funding for developing housing as a response to 
the AIDS pandemic. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 2, 2009 
Mr. NADLER of New York (for himself, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. 
MCDERMOTT, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. 
PIERLUISI, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. LEWIS of 
Georgia, Mr. CASTLE, Mr. HINCHEY, Ms. NORTON, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. 
ABERCROMBIE, Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts, Mr. KUCINICH, and Mrs. 
CHRISTENSEN) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Financial Services 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the lack of ade-
quate housing must be addressed as a barrier to effective 
HIV prevention, treatment, and care, and that the 
United States should make a commitment to providing 
adequate funding for developing housing as a response 
to the AIDS pandemic. 
Whereas adequate and secure housing for people with human 
immunodeficiency virus or acquired immunodeficiency 
syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a challenge with global dimen-
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•HCON 137 IH 
sions and adequate housing is one of the greatest unmet 
needs of persons in the United States with HIV/AIDS; 
Whereas growing empirical evidence shows that the socio-
economic circumstances of individuals and groups and 
structural factors such as housing status are of equal im-
portance, or even greater importance, to health status 
than medical care and personal health behaviors; 
Whereas the link between poverty and disparities in HIV risk 
and health outcomes is well established, and new research 
findings demonstrate the direct relationship between in-
adequate 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 persons who are homeless or unstably housed, 70 
percent of all persons living with HIV/AIDS report a life-
time experience of homelessness or housing instability, 
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 sex-
ual behavior; 
Whereas homeless and unstably housed persons are 2 to 6 
times more likely to use hard drugs, share needles, or ex-
change sex for money and housing than similar persons 
with stable housing, as 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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•HCON 137 IH 
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 the Congress recognized the housing needs of people 
with HIV/AIDS in enacting the Housing Opportunities 
for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program in 1990 as 
part of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Hous-
ing Act (Public Law 101–625) and the HOPWA program 
currently serves 70,000 households: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that— 
(1) stable and affordable housing is an essential 
component of an effective strategy for HIV preven-
tion, treatment, and care; and 
(2) the United States should make a commit-
ment to providing adequate funding for developing 
housing as a response to the AIDS pandemic. 
Æ 
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