Housing is Healthcare: AVOL’s COVID-19 Response

Apr 5, 2022

Dan Koett
859.797.3646
dkoett@framingyournarrative.com 

Organization has provided $1.1 million in support of housing stability during the pandemic

Lexington, Kentucky (March 16, 2022) – Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, AVOL Kentucky has remained  steadfast in their conviction to lift up and support the communities they serve. To that end, AVOL to provide  essential services such as HIV testing, access to short and long-term housing assistance designed to promote  permanent and stable housing. 

“During the Pandemic, it become our primary focus to prevent evictions,” said Executive Director Jon Parker.  “Pandemic induced evictions, because medically vulnerable people were hard hit, only stood to produce more  homelessness.” Parker went on to share, “You can’t get well without a roof over your head. For people living with  HIV, stable housing has proven time after time to reduce a person’s level of virus in the body. Low levels of HIV  ensures that people feel better, and at very low levels they are unable to pass the virus to others.” 

Since the state of emergency was first declared in March 2020, AVOL has worked thoughtfully and strategically to  not only maintain their level of services but to also increase those services to meet the demands and  extraordinary need created by COVID-19. With additional funding from local, state, and federal sources, AVOL has  provided an unprecedented level of assistance to increase the housing stability of those living with HIV and other  medically vulnerable members of our community including:  

$1.1 million of assistance provided to increase housing stability  

2,002 payments made to landlords and utility companies to keep people housed 

276 households assisted with rent, mortgage, or utility payments  

35% increase in the number of long-term housing subsidies provided to clients  

“It was never a question of AVOL being able to continue to support our community, rather how would we do it  and who would we partner with to ensure no one in need was left to fend for themselves,” Parker added.  

For more than three-decades AVOL Kentucky has been the leading advocate in central and eastern Kentucky for  HIV/AIDS awareness, develop long-term solutions, and implementing measures with a goal of one day eradicating  the disease once and for all.  

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About AVOL
AVOL’s mission is to collaborate with communities to end HIV in Kentucky. AVOL currently provides housing and supportive services to over  300 low-income men and women living with HIV/AIDS in more than 70 counties in central and eastern Kentucky. AVOL operates Solomon  House, a long-term permanent community residence for people with AIDS. AVOL provides free HIV and other STI testing as well as HIV  prevention education and outreach to those at-risk in our communities. AVOL also serves as an important link connecting those newly  diagnosed and those out of care to medical treatment and other healthcare and support resources.