CHLP Testifies Before New York City Council on the Needs of Older Adults Living with HIV

On November 17, 2023, CHLP’s Kae Greenberg and Amir Sadeghi testified before a trio of New York City Council committees at the first-ever hearing on the needs of aging people living with HIV. At the hearing, Council members discussed proposals to meet the needs of this underserved population, making explicit the work that New York City needs to do to make access to services equitable across race, class, and neighborhood.

During the public comments section, many long-time survivors provided testimony relating to their unmet healthcare needs. They highlighted the necessity of programs focused on the lack of affordable housing, senior isolation, and mental health. Advocates from SAGE, GMHC, NEW Pride Agenda, and Callen-Lorde pressed for programs such as LGBTQ+ inclusive comprehensive sexual health education at older adult centers around the city.

In his testimony, CHLP Staff Attorney Kae Greenberg pushed the council to recognize that there are systemic barriers that block equitable access to housing and healthcare that are worsened because many Black and brown people aging with HIV in New York have criminal records. Improving health outcomes for aging New Yorkers with HIV requires dismantling these barriers and mitigating their collateral consequences.

Amir Sadeghi, CHLP’s Policy and Advocacy Manager, asked the New York City Council to consider passing a resolution in support of Assembly Bill 282, a proposal to universalize continuing medical education on sexual orientation, gender identity, HIV/STI testing, and sexual health literacy to improve health equity and outcomes for older people affected by HIV.