Long‑term HIV survivors urge $50 million for housing and state legal/navigation services

At a California State Senate select committee hearing, older people aging with HIV and their case managers urged state lawmakers to dedicate funds to housing, legal assistance and benefits navigation tailored to long‑term survivors.

"We're being punished for the mistake of staying alive," Paul Aguilar told the committee, recounting a federal $201,000 clawback for an old income discrepancy and subsequent suspension of disability and Medicare payments. Aguilar said his housing stability depends on a single community cooperative and that the End the Epidemics Coalition is requesting $50,000,000 in ADAP rebate funds for housing services.

Case manager Michael Gentes and others described routine client needs: affordability problems after exchange plan changes, food and transportation insecurity, and interruptions in medication coverage. Gentes said many of his clients are older and rely on ADAP, HOPWA and Ryan White programs to remain stable.

Jessica Heskin of the Office of AIDS said ADAP and related programs already serve thousands of older clients — "ADAP served 14,756 clients in 2025" and HCP served 6,609 clients 50 and over in 2025 — and that Project Cornerstone (created under California Health and Safety Code 12295) funds demonstration projects for PLWH 50+; data analyses are in progress.

Aguilar, clinicians and advocates told lawmakers they need sustained, targeted funding for housing models designed for people aging with HIV and for state‑level legal and benefits navigation so survivors are not left to manage federal appeals and clawbacks alone. Office of AIDS staff said they would consider proposals for ADAP rebate expenditure but did not commit to a specific allocation at the hearing.

The committee asked agencies to return with concrete options and links to area plans and data dashboards; no appropriation was made during the hearing.