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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 9, 2016
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jeff Van Ness, (202) 204-7515

CHARLES KING OF HOUSING WORKS RECOGNIZED WITH
LEADERSHIP IN ADVOCACY AWARD

WASHINGTON – The Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) today named Charles King, President and Chief Executive Officer of Housing Works, Inc., the winner of its 2016 Leadership in Advocacy Award. Housing Works is an organization dedicated to ending the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain its efforts.

Mr. King co-founded Housing Works in 1990 to serve the thousands of homeless people in New York City who were living with HIV/AIDS at the time. In the 25-plus years since, Housing Works has become the largest community-based and minority-controlled HIV/AIDS service organization in the United States. Since it was founded, Housing Works has served more than 20,000 homeless and low-income New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS and currently serves over 5,000 people each year.

Housing Works services target people living with and at risk of HIV infection who face the greatest difficulty in securing health care, housing, and social services. The organization operates under the principle that stable housing is healthcare and is the first step toward living a long and healthy life. Housing Works’ broad range of services include housing, healthcare, meals and nutritional counseling, mental health and substance use treatment, job training, and legal assistance.

Mr. King is a pioneering HIV/AIDS activist of national stature: Since 2004, he has chaired the Visioning Taskforce of the National AIDS Housing Coalition, which has hosted seven national and international research and policy summits on housing and HIV/AIDS. He was also a founding convener of the Campaign to End AIDS, a platform for grassroots AIDS activism across the U.S. King is on the governing body of UNAIDS as a member of the NGO Delegation to the Programme Coordinating Board, and he recently served as Community Co-chair of the New York State Ending the Epidemic Task Force to End the AIDS Epidemic in New York State by 2020, which developed the Blueprint for reducing the number of new HIV infections in the state from 3,000 to under 750 per year by 2020.

“I’ve worked personally worked with Charles over the past 20 years. I’ve seen firsthand how he’s built bridges and become a highly effective partner with New York State and Medicaid Special Needs Plans—effecting significant and lasting health care policy and delivery transformation,” said Doug Wirth, President and CEO of Amida Care, who nominated Mr. King for the award. “Charles is a passionate, tireless advocate for advancing the Blueprint to End the AIDS Epidemic in New York. Charles and Housing Works have been at the forefront of the effort to lower HIV infection rates among New Yorkers. Their approach works.”

“In the last few years, Safety Net Health Plans have ramped up their efforts to address the underlying social determinants of health—we’ve learned they make a giant difference in health outcomes,” said ACAP CEO Margaret A. Murray. “Charles King has advocated for these kinds of efforts for decades. We’re delighted to recognize his vision and his meaningful work across the spectrum of health care stakeholders.”

Mr. King was recognized at a national meeting of Safety Net Health Plan government relations professionals in Washington. For more information, visit ACAP’s Web site at http://www.communityplans.net.

About ACAP
ACAP represents 60 nonprofit Safety Net Health Plans in 24 states, which collectively serve more than fifteen million people enrolled in Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and other health programs. For more information, visit www.communityplans.net.

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