Two of Western Pennsylvania’s most trusted HIV/AIDS service organizations, Allies for Health + Wellbeing and Shepherd Wellness Community, are grappling with abrupt and deeply damaging funding cuts from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. These cuts include a 25% reduction to Ryan White Part B contracts and a sudden tightening of income eligibility that will disqualify many low- and middle-income Pennsylvanians from lifesaving care.
For Allies for Health + Wellbeing, the 25% cut equates to a staggering $800,000 loss for the fiscal year that began July 1. CEO Mary Bockovich called it “the largest single cut I can remember,” and confirmed the decision came without warning. The organization has already shuttered its early intervention initiative, Project Silk, a vital program for LGBTQ+ youth, especially queer and trans youth of color, and eliminated the three staff positions tied to it.
“We greatly appreciate the commitment demonstrated by the Project Silk staff and truly valued their work,” Bockovich said. “Allies will continue to provide testing and linkage to care for individuals at elevated risk for HIV, which are the priorities of early intervention services, though with less capacity.”
The state’s rationale, according to a memo, is a mix of increased service costs, a rise in SPBP enrollment, and a strained federal funding climate. But critics argue that the fallout is being felt most acutely by the communities already living at the intersection of marginalization and medical vulnerability.
At Shepherd Wellness Community (SWC), the changes represent a $70,000 budget cut. Known for providing meals, wellness services, and community support for people living with HIV, SWC is working to maintain services as best it can. Executive Director Richard Krug emphasized the stress this will cause members, particularly those who now fall above the new income cap of 350% of the federal poverty level, a sharp drop from the previous 500% threshold.
For a single-person household, that cap now sits at $54,755 annually. Anyone recertifying after October 1 will be subject to the new, lower limit.
- Advertisement -
“This is distressing, with a negative impact for any number of our members,” Richard wrote in a statement to SWC’s community. “Please know we will do whatever possible to continue to support you.”
These changes don’t just threaten individual care; they gut the safety nets queer and HIV-positive Pennsylvanians have spent decades building. Project Silk, in particular, has long been recognized for creating affirming spaces that merge public health outreach with queer liberation. Its loss is more than programmatic; it’s political.
The question now is how these organizations, and the people they serve, will survive yet another blow. Allies has managed to identify $400,000 in savings through unfilled positions and spending reductions but is still facing a massive gap. SWC is working to meet its shortfall without turning anyone away.
The call to action is clear: donate now if you have the means, and contact your state legislators to demand that these services be restored and protected.
This isn’t just budget trimming, it’s systemic erasure disguised as austerity. And our communities deserve better.
