Featured Stories
Will New Federal Law Green Light More Modular Housing in U.S.?
LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 21 -- The AIDS Healthcare Foundation posted the following news:
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Will New Federal Law Green Light More Modular Housing in U.S.?
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The 21st Century Road to Housing Act, legislation recently passed in Washington D.C., could help boost construction of modular housing across the United States, increasing production of more affordable housing options--and more quickly.
The bill is intended to make it easier and cheaper to build modular and manufactured homes, according to the Wall Street Journal. The paper noted: "Modular homes are built in pieces at a factory
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LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 21 -- The AIDS Healthcare Foundation posted the following news:
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Will New Federal Law Green Light More Modular Housing in U.S.?
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The 21st Century Road to Housing Act, legislation recently passed in Washington D.C., could help boost construction of modular housing across the United States, increasing production of more affordable housing options--and more quickly.
The bill is intended to make it easier and cheaper to build modular and manufactured homes, according to the Wall Street Journal. The paper noted: "Modular homes are built in pieces at a factoryand assembled on site, and they often appear quite similar to traditional, stick-built houses. Manufactured homes--often referred to as mobile homes or trailers--are built entirely at a factory and shipped whole to their destination."
In June, the Department of Housing and Urban Development published a proposed rule in the Federal Register that, the agency claimed, would "update the definition of a manufactured home and support innovative opportunities for multi-story manufactured housing."
The department further noted: "Under the proposed rule, the new definition of a manufactured home, as noted in the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, commonly known as the HUD Code, would allow upper floor sections to be transported and constructed without a permanent chassis."
The requirement for a permanent chassis adds an estimated $5,000 to $10,000 to the price tag of a manufactured home--a steep premium for these lower cost homes.
However, the Wall Street Journal reported that the "law doesn't create a national building standard for modular construction, the type of overhaul experts say is necessary for the U.S. to scale factory-built housing. Instead, it directs HUD only to study the idea, with no deadline or requirement that a standard actually result. One expert told the Journal, 'My read of it is it's really a study and rule-making directive, not a policy change.'"
According to HUD, more than 20 million Americans reside in manufactured homes, and HUD Code manufactured homes provide safe and affordable housing for families and support pathways to stability and wealth building.
Ged Kenslea, Senior Director of Communications at AIDS Healthcare Foundation, has worked on public health issues for 30 years.
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Original text here: https://www.aidshealth.org/2026/10/will-new-federal-law-green-light-more-modular-housing-in-u-s/
The Data Maven: What are the Barriers to HIV Treatment Adherence? And How Can We Fix It?
LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 21 -- The AIDS Healthcare Foundation posted the following news:
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The Data Maven: What are the Barriers to HIV Treatment Adherence? And How Can We Fix It?
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A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found that many people living with HIV in the United States still struggle to take their medications as prescribed. Routine antiretroviral treatment medication is important for maintaining good health and helping end the HIV epidemic. The CDC's Medical Monitoring Project surveyed nearly 4,000 people for behaviors and clinical characteristics of
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LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 21 -- The AIDS Healthcare Foundation posted the following news:
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The Data Maven: What are the Barriers to HIV Treatment Adherence? And How Can We Fix It?
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A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found that many people living with HIV in the United States still struggle to take their medications as prescribed. Routine antiretroviral treatment medication is important for maintaining good health and helping end the HIV epidemic. The CDC's Medical Monitoring Project surveyed nearly 4,000 people for behaviors and clinical characteristics ofpeople living with diagnosed HIV.
Taking all medications as prescribed, treatment adherence leads to better overall health outcomes for people living with HIV. Antiretrovirals suppress the viral load count so that HIV is at an undetectable level, meaning the virus cannot be transmitted to others through sexual contact and one's immune system stays healthier.
According to the report, 62% of people were virally suppressed at their most recent HIV viral load test. However, that number dropped to 59% among those who maintained viral suppression over a 12-month period.
Respondents reported several factors that made it difficult to take their medications as prescribed. These included being busy with work or family responsibilities, financial struggles or problems with health insurance, and mental health challenges.
To address the lack of sustained viral suppression, HIV-care providers can implement reminder tools. Innovations such as SMS reminders, check-in calls, or mobile apps could be utilized to help people living with HIV remember to take their medications, even when life gets busy or other challenges arise.
By providing support to address these barriers, HIV-care providers can encourage patients to stay consistent with their treatment and maintain long-term viral suppression.
Lauren Natoli is the Director of Advocacy and Policy Research in the Public Health Division of AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
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Original text here: https://www.aidshealth.org/2026/10/the-data-maven-what-are-the-barriers-to-hiv-treatment-adherence-and-how-can-we-fix-it/ (TNSmrp)
The Data Maven: Dandelions and Living with HIV from Birth
LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 21 -- The AIDS Healthcare Foundation posted the following news:
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The Data Maven: Dandelions and Living with HIV from Birth
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"But my mother died before she got the chance to realize that dandelions are blessings in disguise."
These powerful words come from Dandelion, a poem by the late Mary Bowman (pictured above), a poet, activist, and woman born with HIV. In the poem, Bowman uses the dandelion as a metaphor for people who are often misunderstood, overlooked, or stigmatized despite their resilience and inherent value.
Within the HIV community, "Dandelions"
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LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 21 -- The AIDS Healthcare Foundation posted the following news:
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The Data Maven: Dandelions and Living with HIV from Birth
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"But my mother died before she got the chance to realize that dandelions are blessings in disguise."
These powerful words come from Dandelion, a poem by the late Mary Bowman (pictured above), a poet, activist, and woman born with HIV. In the poem, Bowman uses the dandelion as a metaphor for people who are often misunderstood, overlooked, or stigmatized despite their resilience and inherent value.
Within the HIV community, "Dandelions"has become a term used to describe individuals who acquired HIV perinatally, meaning the virus was transmitted during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.
Often referred to as "Lifetime Survivors," Dandelions represent a unique generation whose experiences are frequently absent from broader HIV narratives. While advances in HIV treatment and prevention have dramatically reduced perinatal transmission, those who were born with HIV continue to navigate complex challenges related to disclosure, long-term health, loss, and stigma.
According to the policy brief Persons Who Acquire HIV at Birth Need Better Support, an estimated 12,400 Lifetime Survivors are in the United States, representing approximately 0.1% of all people living with HIV.
Many Dandelions face heightened judgment and misconceptions rooted in a limited public understanding of perinatal HIV transmission. Their representative numbers have often contributed to their exclusion from research, policy discussions, and community engagement efforts within the broader HIV movement. Yet, like the flower in Bowman's poem, Dandelions possess a remarkable resilience born from surviving circumstances beyond their control.
Their stories reflect not only the enduring impact of an epidemic that spans generations, but also the strength, leadership, and advocacy that emerge from lived experience. As the HIV community works toward ending new transmissions, it must also ensure that those who have lived with HIV since birth are seen, heard, and supported as well.
As Mary Bowman wrote: "Beauty lies not in the petals of flowers but in the power of unconditional love...in the strength of the untouched, un-hugged, sometimes unloved but most important of all, un-budged dandelions."
Dominic Calhoun is a public health statistician and advocacy journalist serving as Senior Program Manager of Advocacy at AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
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Original text here: https://www.aidshealth.org/2026/10/the-data-maven-dandelions-and-living-with-hiv-from-birth/
San Diego Foundation Names Four Directors to Lead Education, Health, Environment and Philanthropy Initiatives
SAN DIEGO, California, Oct. 21 -- The San Diego Foundation posted the following news release:
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San Diego Foundation Names Four Directors to Lead Education, Health, Environment and Philanthropy Initiatives
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October 21, 2026 - San Diego, CA - San Diego Foundation (SDF) today announced three leadership promotions and a new hire to strengthen its work in education, family well-being, environmental initiatives and philanthropy.
The leadership appointments are:
* Allan Gamboa, promoted to director of Family Well-Being.
* Miguel Lopez, promoted to director of Development.
* Cecilia Morales,
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SAN DIEGO, California, Oct. 21 -- The San Diego Foundation posted the following news release:
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San Diego Foundation Names Four Directors to Lead Education, Health, Environment and Philanthropy Initiatives
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October 21, 2026 - San Diego, CA - San Diego Foundation (SDF) today announced three leadership promotions and a new hire to strengthen its work in education, family well-being, environmental initiatives and philanthropy.
The leadership appointments are:
* Allan Gamboa, promoted to director of Family Well-Being.
* Miguel Lopez, promoted to director of Development.
* Cecilia Morales,promoted to director of College Success.
* Emily Wier, hired as director of Environmental Initiatives.
As the largest community foundation in San Diego County, SDF brings donors, nonprofits and community partners together to expand opportunities and improve quality of life across the region.
"Cecilia, Allan, Emily and Miguel share a deep commitment to San Diego and to making a difference in our communities," said Mark Stuart, president and CEO of San Diego Foundation. "Whether they're helping a first-generation student finish college, connecting families to care, tackling pollution in the Tijuana River Valley or helping donors turn their generosity into lasting community impact, they're efforts are making our region stronger."
Cecilia Morales, Director of College Success
Cecilia leads SDF's efforts to help more students across San Diego County enter college, persist and earn a degree. Her work focuses on students furthest from opportunity, partnering with schools, colleges and community organizations to strengthen pathways from kindergarten through college and into careers that strengthen their families and communities.
Before assuming her new role, Cecilia served as senior manager of Education Initiatives. Prior to joining SDF, she worked in higher education and college access, engaging donors, institutional leaders and first-generation college students. Cecilia earned bachelor's degrees in ethnic studies and sociology from UC San Diego and a master's degree in postsecondary educational leadership from San Diego State University. Born and raised in Barrio Logan and Southeast San Diego, she now lives in City Heights.
Allan Gamboa, Director of Family Well-Being
Allan leads SDF's work to advance health equity and improve the health of children and families across the region. He brings a decade of experience in community health centers and health programming.
Allan previously served as assistant director of Family Well-Being. Before joining SDF, Allan was a program director at the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, where he focused on reducing barriers to care in under-resourced communities disproportionately affected by diabetes. He also served as associate clinic director for Family Health Centers of San Diego and clinic supervisor for La Clinica de La Raza in Oakland, overseeing clinic operations and helping connect health care with social services.
Allan holds a master's degree in health care administration and interprofessional leadership from the University of California, San Francisco, and a bachelor's degree in public health science from the University of California, Irvine.
Miguel Lopez, CFRE, Director, Philanthropic Advisor
Miguel helps donors connect their generosity with the causes they care about, from building personal giving plans to exploring legacy gifts. His approach starts with listening and making giving feel personal and approachable.
In more than a decade at SDF, Miguel has worked in philanthropic planning and community grantmaking, most recently as senior manager of development. He co-leads the El Camino Fund, which brings donors and nonprofit partners together to help support entrepreneurs, and previously served on the board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals San Diego Chapter.
Raised in central San Diego, Miguel mentors through Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County. He is bilingual in English and Spanish, holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive credential and earned a bachelor's degree in business management from California State University, Northridge.
Emily Wier, Director of Environmental Initiatives
Emily leads SDF's environmental initiatives and grantmaking, working with community partners to address climate change, coastal resilience, outdoor access, and water and air pollution in the Tijuana River Valley. With more than a decade of experience working on environmental issues in San Diego County, she brings partners together to advance solutions that protect the environment and improve quality of life.
Before joining SDF, Emily was chief policy and strategy officer for the Policy & Innovation Center, an SDF affiliate, where she helped secure federal and state funding for the region and launched pilot projects to address water pollution. Earlier, as policy director for the former District 4 county supervisor, she led the county's climate and environmental agenda, including the Climate Action Plan and the Electric Vehicle Roadmap. Her experience also includes government affairs at a climate technology company, environmental consulting and an internship with the White House Domestic Policy Council during the Obama administration.
Emily was appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board. She holds a master's degree in environmental management from Yale University and a bachelor's degree in biology from Tufts University.
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Original text here: https://www.sdfoundation.org/news-events/sdf-news/san-diego-foundation-names-four-directors-to-lead-education-health-environment-and-philanthropy-initiatives/
NFWF Announces $35.5 Million in Grants to Accelerate Recovery of Endangered and Threatened Species
WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 -- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation posted the following news release:
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NFWF Announces $35.5 Million in Grants to Accelerate Recovery of Endangered and Threatened Species
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New program targets the final hurdles to species recovery across the nation, while also supporting conservation on working lands shared by wildlife, farmers, ranchers, foresters and other landowners.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 21, 2026) - The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) today announced $35.5 million in grants that will provide critical
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 -- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation posted the following news release:
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NFWF Announces $35.5 Million in Grants to Accelerate Recovery of Endangered and Threatened Species
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New program targets the final hurdles to species recovery across the nation, while also supporting conservation on working lands shared by wildlife, farmers, ranchers, foresters and other landowners.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 21, 2026) - The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) today announced $35.5 million in grants that will provide criticalfunding for conservation practices that help the recovery of endangered and threatened species, including actions that can lead to downlisting or delisting.
The 109 grants, the first awarded through the new National Species Recovery Grants (NSRG) program, reach species ranging from polar bears in Alaska to fish in Missouri; and from the round-leaf birch, endemic to just one county in Virginia, to red-cockaded woodpeckers whose populations have begun to rebound. The grants will leverage $8.6 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $44.1 million.
The NSRG program is designed to fund the "last mile" of species recovery. Working with NFWF, FWS identified priority species that, with additional investment, could make measurable progress toward downlisting or delisting in the coming years, as well as species whose ranges overlap substantially with working landscapes.
For many listed species, the barrier to recovery is not a lack of attention but a specific bottleneck: gaps in survey data, fragmented habitat, human-wildlife conflict, or limited capacity to carry out recovery actions. The grants announced today target those barriers directly.
"Focusing on species recovery is essential to preserving our conservation heritage but also about creating conditions that ensure wildlife and people thrive together," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. "These grants target the specific actions that can improve species' chances of recovery, whether that's by restoring habitat, filling critical data gaps, or helping people and wildlife coexist on working lands. They put resources in the hands of the state agencies, Tribes, local organizations and other entities best positioned to advance solutions in ways that work for both wildlife and the communities that share the landscape with them."
Each grant supports partners voluntarily implementing priority recovery actions identified by FWS. Many also deploy cutting-edge conservation technologies, including environmental DNA (eDNA), acoustic monitoring, remote sensing, genomics, GPS and satellite tracking, and advanced habitat suitability and population viability models. These tools help generate the scientific data needed to evaluate whether species are meeting recovery goals and can be considered for downlisting or delisting.
Examples of innovative recovery projects funded through NSRG include:
* Using eDNA to find species that are difficult to detect, including endangered amphibians and insects that can be identified from traces of genetic material left behind in water and soil. Grants to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will build eDNA tests for the Neuse River waterdog, a salamander found only in North Carolina, and the University of Notre Dame will develop the first-ever eDNA test for Hungerford's crawling water beetle in northern Michigan.
* Applying advanced genetics and genomics to solve conservation challenges. In the Colorado River Basin, invasive smallmouth bass prey on young razorback suckers, an endangered native fish. Utah State University will sequence the bass genome to determine potential genetic-control strategies to shrink the invasive bass population over time without harming the native fish.
* Developing practical conservation solutions in working landscapes. The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois will improve habitat for imperiled insect pollinators on energy transmission corridors and help conserve species in areas where conservation intersects with energy development, transportation infrastructure and other active land uses.
* Using science to balance species recovery with active forest management. In California, the Integral Ecology Research Center will fit fishers with GPS collars and solar-powered Bluetooth transmitters to see how they respond to timber harvest, fuels reduction and forest restoration activities.
Together, these projects illustrate how species recovery increasingly depends on a combination of cutting-edge science, local partnerships and practical conservation solutions that work for communities as well as wildlife.
The NSRG program was established in 2026 through a partnership between NFWF and FWS. A complete list of the inaugural grants made through the program is available here.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) works with partners to foster sustainable and impactful conservation solutions so that people and nature thrive together. Chartered by Congress in 1984, NFWF has grown to become the nation's conservation foundation. NFWF works with the public and private sectors to sustain, restore and enhance the nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitats for current and future generations. Since its founding, NFWF has supported more than 7,200 grantee organizations and funded more than 23,900 projects that have generated a total conservation impact of more than $12 billion. Learn more at nfwf.org.
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Original text here: https://www.nfwf.org/media-center/press-releases/nfwf-announces-35-5-million-grants-accelerate-recovery-endangered-and
Artists are an Important Voice of HIV Prevention
LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 21 -- The AIDS Healthcare Foundation posted the following news:
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Artists are an Important Voice of HIV Prevention
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When the AIDS epidemic first hit the United States in the early 1980s, one of the most visibly impacted groups were artists. Broadway divas such as Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jennifer Holliday, and Debbie Allen often speak about seeing swarms of their cast members and friends gone from the stage, having died of complications from AIDS. As a result, from the initial awareness of AIDS to now, the voice of artists has been a crucial tool for creating greater
... Show Full Article
LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 21 -- The AIDS Healthcare Foundation posted the following news:
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Artists are an Important Voice of HIV Prevention
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When the AIDS epidemic first hit the United States in the early 1980s, one of the most visibly impacted groups were artists. Broadway divas such as Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jennifer Holliday, and Debbie Allen often speak about seeing swarms of their cast members and friends gone from the stage, having died of complications from AIDS. As a result, from the initial awareness of AIDS to now, the voice of artists has been a crucial tool for creating greaterunderstanding of HIV/AIDS.
We can never forget the moment when the multi-award-winning group TLC released their hit single "Waterfalls" in May 1995, awakening millennials to the reality of the impact of HIV/AIDS on their generation. It was these same urban icons who performed on stages around the globe wearing condoms pinned to their colorful, oversized clothing to reduce stigma and highlight the need for safer sex--as well as encouraging young people, specifically women and girls, to take control of their bodies and protect themselves.
From lending their voices and talents to performances at World AIDS Day events, Gay Pride celebrations, and AIDS Walks across the U.S., artists have continued to be critical to public health agencies for elevating HIV prevention and to encourage all people to get tested and know one's HIV status.
Though many performing artists have lifted their voices, their impact goes well beyond the stage. HIV/AIDS has been a part of storylines in a variety of films, such as the blockbuster Philadelphia, and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections was the main storyline in one of the recent episodes of the reboot of the iconic sitcom A Different World.
As well, organizations like AIDS Healthcare Foundation have engaged artists to support messages around prevention and treatment, including connecting with visual artists in a unique partnership.
Understanding that stigma can exist within the walls of a healthcare center, AHF has collaborated with locally based artists in communities across the U.S. to create culturally relevant murals, reflecting and celebrating the spirit and essence of that community.
Visual artists, such as Washington D.C.-based Shawn Perkins, have collaborated with AHF to ensure that clients--no matter the diversity of their identities--see themselves, their cultures, and their communities reflected in AHF buildings through murals and other artistic projects.
The arts have always been a powerful tool for transforming hearts and minds. Whether it's AHF, the Komen Foundation, or other public health organizations, the arts and artists have been a true source of healing and awareness. And in these current times of funding cuts and challenged clarity on truthful public health discourse from our country's leaders, the voice of the artist is even more critical--and they are up for the assignment.
Imara Canady is the National Director of Communications and Community Engagement at AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
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Original text here: https://www.aidshealth.org/2026/10/artists-are-an-important-voice-of-hiv-prevention/
Above Lima, Transgender Youth Build Community and Care
LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 21 -- The AIDS Healthcare Foundation posted the following news:
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Above Lima, Transgender Youth Build Community and Care
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For people living at the margins, access to HIV care is about more than whether a clinic exists. Trust matters. So does having someone in the community who understands your life, knows the barriers you face, and can help connect you to care. During a work trip for AIDS Healthcare Foundation, I saw what that looks like one evening in the hills above Lima, Peru.
We were running on about four hours of sleep after an early flight from Rio
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LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 21 -- The AIDS Healthcare Foundation posted the following news:
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Above Lima, Transgender Youth Build Community and Care
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For people living at the margins, access to HIV care is about more than whether a clinic exists. Trust matters. So does having someone in the community who understands your life, knows the barriers you face, and can help connect you to care. During a work trip for AIDS Healthcare Foundation, I saw what that looks like one evening in the hills above Lima, Peru.
We were running on about four hours of sleep after an early flight from Riowhen our AHF Peru country program director, Dr. Jose Luis Sebastian Mesones, displaying unexpected rally-driving skills, took a colleague and me to visit a small community organization serving transgender people on the outskirts of Lima.
The group partners with AHF to provide HIV testing, prevention, treatment referrals, and outreach. For people who may face stigma, discrimination, poverty, or fear of mistreatment in conventional health settings, organizations like this can become an important bridge to care.
The settlement seemed carved into the dusty hillside. Small concrete homes with corrugated metal roofs lined hard-packed roads, with the occasional chicken darting across them. Far below, Lima was beginning to light up against the Pacific Ocean.
Five or six transgender women and a couple of men welcomed us into a modest cinderblock home. Under a bare bulb, we sat on whatever could reasonably double as a chair while our hosts passed around trays of papa a la huancaina (boiled potatoes in a creamy yellow sauce) and cups of chicha morada (Peru's purple corn drink).
It was simple, delicious, and served with unmistakable warmth from our hosts.
That warmth stood in sharp contrast to what many described outside that room. Some had been rejected by their families. Jobs were difficult to find. Accessing health services could be intimidating. Several relied on sex work to survive.
Some of the stories were difficult to hear. Yet hardship had not made them hard.
They laughed. They teased one another. They asked us questions and talked about helping others in their community.
A couple of hours later, we stepped back into the warm night. Sand blew across the empty street. Far below, Lima glittered, vast and busy and seemingly oblivious to the small community above it.
It struck me how easily societies overlook people living at the margins, and how often those same people become the ones looking after each other.
Public health is usually described in terms of systems, programs, and interventions. But access often depends on something much less technical: trust.
Sometimes public health is a clinic. Sometimes it is a small room, a shared meal, and a group of people refusing to abandon one another.
Denys Nazarov is the Director of Global Policy and Communication at AIDS Healthcare Foundation. He has been with AHF for more than 17 years.
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Original text here: https://www.aidshealth.org/2026/10/above-lima-transgender-youth-build-community-and-care/
