The ZIP Files of COP 24/7 Part 1

Have we said it's fast and furious here at COP 24/7? Well in case you haven't noticed this platform has been burning the candle at both ends with our post ups on this page and doing double duty with our Facebook page and collaboration with the local LGBTQ newspaper, The READ. Talk about holy keyboard moments! Cranking out our special brand of news and other coverage including those "real time," snippets on FB can be daunting to say the least. Yet somehow we get it done and then some which includes our moving and shaking to cover other local happenings from the marriage equality roll at the court house to wading through a tidal wave of emails. What we've learned since our inception is the fact the "communication" has been seriously lacking and continues to be so even with our breakthroughs in how we can communicate.

Why does this persist is mind boggling and often times quite unsettling since much of this information contains not only vital health messaging, but also many other empowering opportunities. Yet with that said, this forum will continue to pull out all stops to discover, research, cull and troll for "what's really going on." Dear readers, you can show your support for our efforts by joining our Rainbow Circle of Friend using our secured Paypal portal. Your donation allow this forum to keep up our advocacy work as well as developing resources to help other advocates who want to make a difference in Arkansas. You can show some pride with making a commitment to share your treasure with us. Do it today!  And now for the latest....

The READ Rolls Again!


Here it comes again, The READ hit the streets as scheduled last Friday with its lasts edition of news
and special interest items covering a range of topics.

According to T. Estell, Editorial Editor," it was a lot of work to make sure that our "pride" edition covered as much as we could possibly could in the time we had," She continued, "Even though we knew that marriage equality had happened as we were putting the last issue together, we felt that we could sweep all of those activities into the pride category as well." 

The monthly newspaper is release each third Friday and can be found at many local venues and outlets including libraries, bookstores and can be found on its website (www.theread.net ) on the following subsequent Friday. The entity has added a new sales person in order to seek out possible ad revenue and other sponsorships to assist with the funding revenue needed to keep the periodical publishing. Currently the newspaper has I-30 as a substantial sponsor and is seeking launching some classified and or personal ad's as an added feature.

Also coming to the newspaper will be interactive advertising that will cross pollinate the static ad within the paper to a possible emerging The READ YouTube channel bringing the ad to life with the products being advertised. The staff believes that this interactive measure will allow a greater connection with readers. Plus a "value added" incentive for advertisers as well as readers. For more advertising information call 501.379-8203 or hit em up at info@livingaffected.org

HOPWA Modernization Legislative Proposal

The current HOPWA formula includes information on well over half a million Americans who have died, and does not reflect or use what the CDC refers to as the single best measure of the current geographic burden of the epidemic: the number of people currently living with an HIV diagnosis.

 

When the HOPWA statute was enacted in 1990, less than 10 years had passed since the first case of AIDS had been reported in the United States, and only about five years had passed since the HIV virus had been isolated and identified by scientists. The HOPWA funding formula reflected the nature of early surveillance data available at that time.

Modernizing the HOPWA funding formula is a key pending HUD action item under President Obama’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS). The NHAS directs HUD to work with Congress to develop a plan to shift to HIV/AIDS case reporting as the basis for HOPWA formula funding. HUD commenced an extensive public consultation process in 2011 to solicit public input from grantees, stakeholders, and federal agency partners through a series of forums. The results of this collaboration greatly assisted HUD in developing the legislative proposal.

The Department’s FY 2015 HOPWA congressional budget justification includes a legislative proposal to change the formula and to expand the provision of short-term housing assistance. Congressional action is required prior to enactment of the proposal, as the HOPWA statute must be amended to enable the use of living HIV cases. This is due to the existing statutory language referring only to cumulative AIDS cases for purposes of providing formula grant awards. As such, the purpose of this notification to dispel any misunderstanding regarding the status of this legislative request since it remains a proposed action. In fact, the Department has previously submitted the legislative request in the FY 2013 and FY 2014 HOPWA budget requests without congressional action.

The proposed formula change would be based on living HIV cases, including those living with AIDS, and would serve as a baseline to better reflect the nature of the HIV epidemic, as well as aligning the distribution of HOPWA formula funding with other Federal HIV programs, notably the Ryan White CARE Act program which has already enacted living HIV cases. The existing 25% formula factor would be revised to adjust for local housing costs (Fair Market Rents) and community need (poverty rates). In addition, the legislative proposal also includes language that would expand short-term housing interventions to allow for more flexible time limits and for rapid re-housing of homeless persons living with HIV/AIDS.

The legislative proposal contains a stop-loss provision that would be phased in over a period of three years. As the new formula is phased in, grantees would not lose more than 10 percent or gain more than 20 percent of their share of the previous fiscal year’s formula funds.

 

SAVE the DATE!!!

 

The Center for Artistic Revolution will be presenting its 10th Annual Corazon, June 28th, at the Bosewell-Mourot Art Gallery, 5815 Kavanaugh in the height section of the city. The evening will be a mix creative art and noshing with refreshments and beverages while raising money for a great cause. COP 24/7 encourages you to add this to your busy calendar of pride month events.

 

 

Don't forget National HIV Testing Week June 21-27, 2014. Talk HIV. Test HIV. Treat HIV. Do you know your status or need to do something about it ? Check out HIV Test locator widget in right hand margin of this platform.