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Testimony by Anthony Feliciano, Vice President for Advocacy at Housing Works

6:31:21

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Anthony Feliciano from Housing Works addresses urgent priorities in the face of federal funding threats, emphasizing the need for increased funding for HIV and hepatitis C initiatives, as well as support for overdose prevention centers and solutions to unsheltered homelessness.

Highlights the risk to federal Medicaid funding for transgender healthcare and potential cuts to HIV surveillance and prevention funding
Advocates for increased funding for ETE initiative, faith-based HIV initiative, and hepatitis C initiative
Proposes privatization stabilization beds as a model to address the homeless crisis, despite challenges with apartment homeless services funding

Anthony Feliciano

6:31:21

Good afternoon.

6:31:22

My name is Anthony Feliciano.

6:31:24

I am vice president for advocacy efforts at Housing Works.

6:31:27

We're also a founding member of the NA's New York Community Coalition.

6:31:32

Before I speak of a few urgent priorities, you heard this already.

6:31:37

You know, this year, this budget needs to act because we are addressing very real uncertainties and urgent threats posed by federal actions that creates many threats.

6:31:48

Part of it is that to understand this, some content is also that there was a last minute inclusion and a provision that blocks federal Medicaid ACA funding for medically necessary care for all transgender people at regardless of age.

6:32:04

The other content which had in 02/2024, UMH had roughly 35,000,000 to its cooperative agreement with CDC for HIV surveillance prevention.

6:32:14

That is all at risk, particularly for how they work and our central health clinic work.

6:32:20

In terms of our urgent priorities, think, and we're in protecting New Yorkers, we want to make sure that increased funding for the ETE initiative, the faith based HIV initiative, and the hep C initiative.

6:32:31

The other thing is we need to stress the authorization of more funding or funding for additional overdose prevention centers.

6:32:37

And next I want to move to the need for evidence based solutions to the crisis of unsheltered homelessness and mental health needs.

6:32:44

We have this thing called around privatization stabilization beds that we can actually have a good model for.

6:32:50

Unfortunately, we've had some challenges including the apartment homeless services not wanting to fund it, But it's a model that I think is important and will serve well to address the homeless crisis.

6:33:01

And so those are key things that we believe in Housing Works including mitigating any federal cuts particularly for the most marginalized communities particularly people living with HIV and low income immigrant communities.

6:33:14

Thank you.

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