House subcommittee proposes cutting AIDS housing funds

The House appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday recommended cutting spending in fiscal 2005 for the Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS program by $12.8 million from 2004 funding levels, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago reports. Community groups had requested Congress to appropriate an additional $55 million over 2004 levels for the program, which provides housing services for low-income HIV-positive people and their families. The funding decrease could put thousands of HIV-positive people at risk of becoming homeless or being forced to live in substandard housing, AIDS officials say. The full House Appropriations Committee is expected to discuss the subcommittee's recommendations on Friday.