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Local HIV providers warn $1.2M in federal 'Ending the HIV Epidemic' funds may be returned unless county releases awards
Summary
Multiple community health and HIV service providers told the Health Committee during public comment that roughly $1.2M in federal Ending the HIV Epidemic emergency funds awarded to Alameda County have not been distributed to community providers and risk reverting to the federal government if not disbursed by late February.
Several HIV service providers and advocates used the Health Committee’s public‑comment period on Jan. 12 to urge the county to release federal Ending the HIV Epidemic emergency funds that they say have already been awarded but remain unreleased.
David Gonzales, an HIV program manager who spoke as a concerned Oakland resident, described frontline care experiences and said delays in dispersing the funds mean community providers are doing work unreimbursed while plans and staffing are in place. He said the delay is especially consequential for Black and Latino communities that remain disproportionately affected by HIV.
Yamini, deputy director at East Bay Getting to Zero, told the committee that $1,200,000 of federal epidemic‑response funds had been granted to the county and earmarked for community providers, but the funds had not yet been distributed. She said community organizations have prepared work plans and asked the county for transparency and expedited administrative processing because funds will revert to the federal government if not used by late February.
Sammy Luebaga, an HIV specialist and physician, said a letter from community providers asking the county for an accountability plan had been shared with county leadership and urged the Health Committee to press for a timely resolution. Holly Calhoun of Project Open Hand and other public commenters echoed the urgency and asked for faster disbursement and clearer county communication.
Committee members acknowledged the public comments and asked agency directors to follow up; the chair said she hoped public health leadership heard the request and called for action to prevent the funds from being lost to federal reversion.
