Lawsuit Alleges NYC Illegally Withheld HOPWA Funds

A federal class-action lawsuit claims New York City illegally withheld federal disability awards owed to people living with HIV, according to an HIV Law Project statement.

The HIV Law Project and co-counsel from the National Center for Law and Economic Justice and African Services Committee allege two city agencies, the Human Resources Administration and HIV/AIDS Services Administration, have withheld and retained retroactive federal disability awards under the Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS (HOPWA) program to reimburse themselves for funds those agencies did not expend on behalf of the plaintiffs.

HOPWA was created to provide the city’s most marginalized HIV-positive residents with safe and affordable housing.

The case is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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