Living With Aids
Linda Giordano was diagnosed HIV-positive in drug and alcohol rehab two years ago during a routine pre-natal visit. How long would she live, she wondered? Would she get to see her child grow up? Like all people diagnosed with this life-threatening virus, she also had to ask herself , "Do I want to live, or do I want to die?"

Giordano, 27, who prefers not to share her real name, found out she was pregnant while working as a dancer — a lifestyle that fed her addiction to drugs and alcohol. She immediately knew she wanted to keep the child.

Sitting next to her two-year-old son in her new studio apartment provided by Townspeople, a San Diego nonprofit, Giordano recalls that her first thought was not to enter a rehab clinic. Close to her family living in San Diego, Giordano told her mother about the pregnancy, who insisted that if she were to have the child, she must get sober. Giordano soon entered a treatment center for women with children.

"I thought it would be a short program and that I would do it to satisfy my family. I ended up staying nine months," says Giordano. "It was good for me to be there. My T-cells were at 209 with a 385,000 viral load. Otherwise, I would’ve ended up in a hospital before I found out that I was HIV-positive."

People being treated for HIV or AIDS undergo regular blood tests. Two of the most important tests measure viral load, the amount of HIV in your blood, and the number of CD4 cells, sometimes called T-cells, which help to organize the body’s defenses against disease. CD4 counts show how much damage HIV has done to the person’s immune system. Healthy adults and teenagers usually have a CD4 count of at least 800 cells per cubic millimeter of blood. Maintaining high T-cell counts and reducing the viral load decreases the chances of getting an AIDS-related infection or dying.

Since Giordano was first diagnosed HIV-positive, her T-cells have increased to 715, and the viral load is undetectable. To stay healthy, she is not only living drug- and alcohol-free, but is also exercising, following a low-fat diet, and taking anti-viral medication. Because she confronted the virus early on, her son is HIV negative.

Out of rehab, HIV positive, and wanting to care for her son while eager to start a new life, Giordano needed help. People with HIV often become marginalized, stigmatized, and struggle financially. Reaching out for help can be a matter of life or death.

At the behest of her caseworker, Giordano contacted Townspeople, which provides services and access to affordable housing for low-income people living with HIV/AIDS. She added her name to a competitive list — there are over 600 names on Townspeople’s waiting list for permanent, supportive housing.

"You can’t manage this alone," explains Patrick Allen of Townspeople. "Without a network, you’ll slip down." Assisted living, also called supportive housing, provides a support net for people diagnosed HIV-positive. Affordable housing is the number one non-medical need expressed by people living with HIV/AIDS in San Diego County, as reported by the Office of AIDS Coordination.

While waiting, Giordano moved into transitional housing with her son and enrolled in part-time classes at San Diego City College. Living with a roommate, she paid $600 a month. In the past, Giordano was a hairdresser, so she took up the trade again.

After one year, a recommendation from her caseworker, several interviews, and a drug test, Townspeople offered Giordano an apartment in their newly refurbished, assisted living complex in City Heights. The rent is $347 a month. With a Partial Assistance Rental Subsidy (PARS) for people with HIV and AIDS she will receive over the next two years, she is paying $197.

Twenty-four studios in three, two-story buildings face an open courtyard and parking area lined with brightly colored impatiens and potted palms. A security gate surrounds the entire property. "I feel so lucky living here. I think I cried when I found out I could move in. To afford to go to school and have a safe place for my son is a blessing," says Giordano.

This semester she will be taking five classes — trigonometry, biology with a lab, chemistry, psychology, and English. So far, she has completed three semesters, has made the dean’s list receiving As and Bs, and has joined the Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program — an agreement between UCSD and San Diego community colleges that gives transfer students guaranteed admission to UCSD upon fulfilling the requirements. One day, Giordano hopes to become a nurse.

Giordano leans back on her twin bed. Her son sits on the floor with his legs outstretched, laughing at people sledding on TV. "He saved my life," says Giordano as she glances at her son. "Now, I’m healthier than I’ve ever been." — Beverly Gallagher

Townspeople

Year Founded: 1984

Overall Mission: To provide access to affordable housing and other human services for low-income people, especially those living with HIV/AIDS.

Current Funding Objectives: To develop the organizational capacity of Townspeople to continue to build 25 to 50 affordable housing units per year, (for the long-term financial sustainability of the organization, one project always needs to be in development and one under construction), and to develop ongoing support for the maintenance of current properties and for tenant services including food and basic living essentials.

Donation Administration: Townspeople’s 2008 budget for grants, donations, and other fundraising revenue is $470,000, with an estimated expenditure of $50,000 or 11 percent of revenue.

Organization’s Biggest Challenge: Spreading the word that housing and shelter is the number one non-medical need of people living with HIV/AIDS; that housing is known to be the cornerstone of effective long-term manageability of the disease, and that building affordable housing for low-income people living with HIV and AIDS is an investment in a stronger San Diego.

People Served Yearly: 14,500

Contact Information:
3960 Park Blvd., Suite B
San Diego, CA 92103-3506
619/295-8802, www.townspeople.org