Comprehensive Legal Services for People Living with HIV/AIDS Grant Program

The New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute, through its Division of HIV and Hepatitis Health Care and Bureau of Community Support Services, has released a funding opportunity titled Comprehensive Legal Services for People Living with HIV/AIDS. This initiative is designed to support the delivery of civil legal services that directly address the social determinants of health affecting individuals living with HIV/AIDS. The program recognizes that health outcomes are significantly influenced by socioeconomic factors such as housing instability, income insecurity, discrimination, and access to public benefits, and seeks to integrate legal services into broader health and social care systems. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities by addressing legal barriers that prevent individuals from maintaining consistent medical care and achieving viral suppression. The program emphasizes serving disproportionately impacted populations, including Black, Brown, Indigenous, and People of Color communities, as well as LGBTQ+ individuals and low-income populations. Funded programs are expected to provide comprehensive civil legal services across areas such as housing, employment, public benefits, education, and family law, while explicitly excluding criminal legal services. The funding scope includes an annual allocation of up to 2,750,000 dollars over a five-year period, totaling 13,750,000 dollars. Individual awards vary by geographic region, with a maximum of 315,000 dollars annually for providers in New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley, and up to 215,000 dollars annually for providers in other regions of the state. Awards are made competitively based on application scoring, and funding is contingent upon continued performance and state budget appropriations. Payments are reimbursement-based, with potential advances of up to 25 percent of the annual award for eligible nonprofit grantees. Eligible applicants must be either not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organizations or entities operating under Article 28 of the New York State Public Health Law with formal partnerships with legal service providers. Applicants must demonstrate at least three years of experience delivering legal services to people living with HIV/AIDS and must be prequalified in the Statewide Financial System. Programs must be located within and serve the designated New York State regions, and applicants may submit only one application. Clients served must be New York State residents living with HIV/AIDS or closely connected caregivers. Applications must be submitted electronically through the New York Statewide Financial System as a single complete PDF containing all required attachments. The application process includes multiple narrative components, organizational documentation, and budget submissions. Applicants must also meet strict formatting, prequalification, and submission requirements, including adherence to file size limits and naming conventions. Evaluation criteria include program design, health equity focus, organizational capacity, and budget justification, with a total possible score of 100 points. Key dates for the opportunity include a release date of April 27, 2026, a deadline for questions on May 11, 2026, and a final application deadline of June 11, 2026. Contracts are expected to run from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2031. The Department of Health provides technical assistance and guidance throughout the process, and applicants are encouraged to submit early to avoid technical issues. Awards will be made to the highest scoring applicants within each region, with provisions for redistributing funds if insufficient applications are received.

Submit early to avoid technical issues; ensure prequalification is active; align program design strongly with health equity and social determinants; provide detailed and structured responses