TESTIMONY
Valerie Reyes-Jimenez, New York City Community Organizer for Housing Works, on Advocating for Older New Yorkers with HIV
1:49:16
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155 sec
Valerie Reyes-Jimenez testifies in favor of legislation to support older New Yorkers living with HIV, discussing Housing Works' services and the demographic challenges faced.
- Reyes-Jimenez shares Housing Works' mission to end the homelessness and AIDS crises since 1990, providing comprehensive services to over 15,000 low-income New Yorkers annually.
- She emphasizes the growing needs of older New Yorkers living with HIV, including those over fifty who make up more than half of the city's HIV population.
- The testimony highlights significant racial disparities in new HIV infections, disproportionately affecting older Black and Latinx communities.
- Reyes-Jimenez shares her personal connection to Housing Works and the continuing challenges of securing her future welfare and managing family healthcare needs.
- The necessity of improved coordination across systems for HIV prevention and early diagnosis among older adults is underscored.
Valerie Reyes-Jimenez
1:49:16
Thank you, chairperson Hudson, and members of the committee of aging to be able to testify today in support of intro number 869.
1:49:28
My name is Valerie Reyes Jimenez, and I'm the New York City Community Organizer for HousingWorks.
1:49:32
We're a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV.
1:49:36
It was founded in 1990 with a mission to end the dual crisis of homelessness and aids.
1:49:43
HousingWorks currently the full range of integrated medical, behavioral health services and support services for over 15,000 low income New Yorkers annually with a focus on the most marginalized and underserved.
1:49:56
Those faced in the challenges of homelessness, HIV, mental health issues, stance use disorder, other chronic and other chronic conditions, and incarceration.
1:50:05
More than half of the New Yorkers living with HIV are over the age of fifty.
1:50:10
Housing works like other New York City HIV service providers are working hard to identify the needs and identify and meet the unique medical housing and psychosocial needs of older people living with HIV.
1:50:23
I myself came to housing where it's a 1991 homeless, and at the lowest point in my life, I was twenty six years old.
1:50:30
Now at fifty nine years old, I work full time in the advocacy department.
1:50:35
I will have to say that I will have to work until I die or can no longer work since I have no savings or a way to support myself other than social security when, you know, when the time comes.
1:50:46
I also managed my mother's health care, her appointment, as as well as my uncle who resides in a senior living facility and dealing with accessoride.
1:50:58
So those are a number of births things that I also have to deal with in in the work that I do.
1:51:06
So we're grateful to the also for always supporting the vital implementation of the ending the HIV AIDS epidemic.
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HIV AIDS epidemic initiative, the ETE initiative.
1:51:20
We clearly need better coordination across systems to improve HIV prevention in early diagnosis among older New Yorkers and one piece of data that jumps out regarding new infections.
1:51:35
Among older adults is they are overwhelmingly among Black and Latinx New Yorkers.
1:51:42
And there's plenty more that I would love to say, but ran out of time, the submission the testimony will be submitted, and you will have it.