Oregon Balance of State HIV/AIDS Housing & Services Systems ...

Executive Summary—Oregon HIV/AIDS Housing and Services Systems Integration Plan iii
The Systems Integration Plan includes a summary of the OHOP program as a regional HIV/AIDS
resource; research on demographic patterns, HIV/AIDS epidemiology, economic factors, housing
and homelessness among people living with HIV/AIDS in Oregon’s balance of state; and
descriptions of key features of an array of interrelated housing and service systems across Oregon.
Among the key findings of this research is the great need for housing for people living with
HIV/AIDS. Forty percent of Oregonians with HIV need housing assistance, and a survey of Oregon
service agency representatives cited the lack of affordable housing as the number-one barrier to
stability for Oregonians living with HIV/AIDS.
For greater detail on the findings of each aspect of the research, please see the “Context of
HIV/AIDS Housing” and “Integration of HIV/AIDS Services and Housing with Existing Systems”
sections of the Plan. Based on these findings, the Steering Committee identified critical issues and
developed recommendations to improve the ability of these systems to cooperatively meet the
housing and services needs of people living with HIV/AIDS in Oregon.
Critical Issues and Recommendations
The Oregon HIV Housing and Service Systems Integration Plan Steering Committee met twice in
Salem, Oregon, and also by telephone conference, to review findings from the assessment of
HIV/AIDS resources and systems integration conducted by Building Changes. Based on these
findings, the Committee identified critical issues in systems integration that pose challenges to
meeting the housing and related needs of people living with HIV and AIDS in the state of Oregon
(outside of the Portland metropolitan area). The Committee then sought to develop strategic
recommendations that addressed the critical issues.
Among the critical issues, the Committee identified both general issues related to the outreach and
partnership strategies of the OHOP program, and issues specific to the various housing and service
systems which should be involved in an integrated HIV housing and service plan for Oregon
residents. One or more recommendations were developed to correspond to each type of issue and
system. For greater detail on each of these issues and recommendations, please read the “Critical
Issues” and “Recommendations and Strategies” section of the complete Plan.
Critical Issues
Outreach and Partnership Development
1. Limited Awareness of Resources Dedicated to People Living with HIV/AIDS
Many potential housing and services partners lack awareness or accurate knowledge of existing
resources dedicated to, or which can be used to serve, people living with HIV/AIDS, and that lack
of awareness may limit partnerships.
2. Confidentiality Concerns
The need to maintain client confidentiality restricts the ways that OHOP housing coordinators and
other organizations and individuals can publicize their activities and resources.
3. Limited Staff Capacity and Knowledge