A post written by Kiera Hansen, Bradley Angle Community Based Services Manager

Through an incredible collaborative effort, I am pleased to report that Bradley Angle and Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) secured three-year grant funding through the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program and the Violence against Women Act (VAWA) to offer more services to HIV-positive survivors.

Survivors of domestic/intimate partner violence are at an increased risk for HIV. We also see HIV-positive individuals experience domestic/intimate partner violence at higher rates than the general population.

This new program is designed to help HIV-positive domestic/intimate partner violence survivors in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area connect with the housing and supportive services they need to live healthy and safe lives. The funds will be managed by the Portland Housing Bureau while CAP and Bradley Angle will administer the project’s day-to-day programming.

In the domestic/intimate partner violence field we know that lack of stable and affordable housing is often reported by survivors as being one of the primary reasons they stayed in a relationship that was not healthy for them.

In the HIV prevention field, research shows that once in consistent and safe housing, people living with HIV are more likely to:

• Think beyond their basic survival and seek health care and supportive services
• Access HIV treatment that works for them
• Take their medication consistently which leads to decreased risk of HIV transmission
• Experience better overall health outcomes

We are thrilled about this opportunity to engage in a collaborative effort that bridges the gaps between these intersecting services and provide housing stability.

For more information on either of these programs contact:

Kiera, Kierah@bradleyangle.org

With participant referrals contact:

Omer, Omere@bradleyangle.org