San Francisco receives slight increase in Ryan White funds

San Francisco's HIV Health Services Planning Council will receive slightly more federal Ryan White money for HIV/AIDS services in 2003-2004 than in the previous fiscal year, reports the Bay Area Reporter. Last year the city and Marin and San Mateo countries received about $33.5 million. In 2003-2004, the region will receive $33.9 million, an increase of about $380,000. Funding is still down from 2001-2002 levels of nearly $36 million. Officials representing agencies receiving federal AIDS funds said that while they are pleased there were no additional funding cuts in the coming fiscal year, they are only now beginning to see the impact of the program cuts they made in fiscal 2002-2003. Although federal AIDS dollars are up for fiscal 2003-2004, city health officials have proposed a nearly $1 million cut in city funding of AIDS services for the same period. Mayor Willie Brown also has asked the health department for a contingency plan of an additional $27.3 million in spending cuts, including from HIV/AIDS services, to meet any ongoing city budget deficits.