Bridging Gaps in HIV Care
Recent Chicago Department of Public Health surveillance data show an increase in new HIV diagnoses beginning in 2021, with the sharpest rises among Latine and Black individuals. These findings align closely with what Chicago House’s Housing & Health Navigation (HHN) team has observed on the ground, particularly among young adults whose access to care was disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Armando Garcia, Director of Housing & Health Navigation, the drivers behind these trends are not changes in individual behavior, but structural disruptions that left many young people disconnected from services. “During 2020, our in-person outreach was significantly reduced to comply with public health guidance,” Garcia explained. “When outreach resumed in 2021, we encountered more young people who were still sexually active but had lost reliable access to PrEP, HIV testing, housing stability, and employment.” Through renewed engagement in clinical settings, including emergency departments, HHN saw increased referrals for individuals newly diagnosed with HIV as well as HIV-negative individuals presenting with heightened vulnerability, most often housing instability.
These patterns reinforce the importance of a status-neutral approach that engages individuals regardless of HIV status and addresses the broader conditions that drive risk. Culturally responsive outreach remains essential to ensuring timely linkage to supportive services, particularly for young Black and Latino gay men and transgender women.
Our outcomes have already demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach. Between 2019 and 2025, 97 percent of participants remained HIV negative while engaged in services; 81 percent transitioned to long-term stable housing upon exit, and 61 percent gained employment or increased income. These results underscore the value of addressing housing stability, economic security, and HIV prevention simultaneously rather than as separate service tracks.
While this progress is promising, cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and public health infrastructure threaten access to care, while restrictions on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts undermine tailored service delivery to communities most affected by HIV. “Advocacy and strong community partnerships are critical right now,” Garcia emphasized. “Without them, the progress we’ve made risks being reversed.”
In response, Chicago House is expanding our model in 2026 through a partnership with Covenant House Illinois via the Housing Opportunities for Youth (HOY) program to serve 40 young adults ages 18–24. Participants will receive comprehensive syndemic health services, including HIV testing and counseling, STI screening and treatment, linkage to HIV care or PrEP/nPEP, and ongoing care coordination. Housing services will focus on securing safe transitional placements and creating pathways to permanent housing, while employment services will be fully embedded in the program, offering individualized planning, job readiness support, and sustained coaching.
By continuing to invest in this status-neutral approach, Chicago House is working to strengthen health equity and ensure that young people most impacted by HIV are connected to care. arities.