![Alabama_0](https://www.hivplusmag.com/media-library/alabama-0.jpg?id=32676593&width=1200&height=800)
Treatment GuideJust DiagnosedSex & DatingAfrican AmericanStigmaAsk the HIV DocPrEP En EspañolNewsVoicesPrint IssueVideoOut 100
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
In Alabama'where the median income for HIVers is less than $8,000 a year'solving the housing needs of HIV-positive Lee County residents has taken a uniquely local form of cooperation and ingenuity. A group of Auburn University students has joined with two area AIDS service organizations to construct a transitional housing campus for low-income HIVers. The group created a home for two HIV-positive women and their children out of a pair of discarded corrugated metal shipping containers and a three-bedroom men's home whose walls were constructed from hay bales. The housing units were designed and largely built by students at Auburn's College of Architecture, Design, and Construction. The shipping containers'once used to transport foreign goods to the United States but then discarded after their arrival'and hay bales were chosen by the students because they're both inexpensive and plentiful, according to Auburn student Michael Grote. The three-bedroom men's home opened in September 2003; the home for HIV-positive women and their children was completed this year, as was a community annex. 'The housing stock is so pitiful, especially in rural counties. This enables people to stay in their communities, where they have support and families,' says Kathie Hiers, chief executive of AIDS Alabama, which purchased the half-acre plot of land for the project. East Alabama AIDS Outreach provides supportive services for the HIVers living in the transitional housing. While the construction project clearly benefits local HIVers who desperately need safe and reliable housing, the Auburn students say they also gained valuable insight through their volunteer work. 'In school you're taught to draw and all of that and what architecture is. But doing the project has taught me a lot more, because I've been able to interact with the client,' says Carie Roddy, who just received a master's degree from Auburn. 'I love being able to say that I did something that they really need.'
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Before AIDS, gay artist Rex drew hot men on the prowl — then he disappeared
April 11 2024 3:15 PM
Diets that mimic fasting reverse aging: study
March 07 2024 5:28 PM
PrEP without a prescription now a reality in California
February 06 2024 8:37 PM
Injectable HIV treatment, prevention: Everything you need to know
March 26 2024 3:28 PM
8 dating tips for gay men from a gay therapist
March 21 2024 2:50 PM
Happy national foreskin day!
April 04 2024 1:45 PM
The science behind U=U has been liberating people with HIV for years
June 04 2024 3:31 PM
Scarlet fever: exploring our fascination with blood
March 13 2024 1:47 PM
On Anal Sex Day, crack up with The Bottom's Digest
April 18 2024 10:22 AM
Plus: Featured Video
Latest Stories
Activist and philanthropist Bruce Bastian dies at 76
June 26 2024 1:28 PM
Yes, HIV-positive people can safely breastfeed
June 26 2024 12:59 PM
Exclusive: We kiki with Q from 'RuPaul's Drag Race'
June 24 2024 11:37 AM
Court rules to keep PrEP coverage under Obamacare
June 21 2024 5:42 PM
In honor of Juneteenth 2024, meet The Normal Anomaly
June 19 2024 1:39 PM
What is Juneteenth?
June 19 2024 11:30 AM
As Pride party season begins, the CDC urges mpox vaccinations
May 16 2024 6:52 PM
Advocacy in action with AIDSWatch
May 09 2024 12:30 PM
The Talk: Thriving with HIV
May 08 2024 10:45 AM
The Talk: What HIV isn’t
May 07 2024 10:48 AM
The Talk: Finding balance with HIV
May 06 2024 10:51 AM
Justice Dept plans to reschedule marijuana as a lower-risk drug
May 03 2024 2:40 PM
The Talk: Starting your journey with HIV
May 03 2024 2:00 PM
Why is a mother’s mental health so important? A doctor explains
May 01 2024 1:38 PM
Walmart to close all of its health care clinics
April 30 2024 12:30 PM
Vampire facial spa infected several women with HIV
April 29 2024 7:26 PM