ANAHEIM, Calif. — Houston’s voice traveled loudly and clearly to California during the 2026 U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS, but for Allies in Hope CEO William “Jeffrey” Campbell, this year’s gathering carried an urgency extending far beyond speeches, workshops and celebration.

The September 17–20 conference, hosted by NMAC at the Hilton Anaheim, marked the 30th anniversary of USCHA and 45 years since the beginning of the recognized U.S. HIV/AIDS epidemic. Under the theme “United and Unbreakable: The HIV Movement at 45,” more than 2,000 health professionals, advocates, community leaders and people living with HIV gathered to examine the future of prevention, treatment, health equity and community-based care.

 

Yet one subject followed Campbell through conversations across the conference: funding.

Allies in Hope is among 96 community-based organizations affected by the expiration of the CDC’s Comprehensive High-Impact HIV Prevention Programs for Community-Based Organizations grant program, PS21-2102. National analyses have found that the program has supported HIV testing, prevention education, PrEP navigation, linkage to care and other frontline prevention services.

For Houston, Campbell says the consequences are tangible.

“Our CDC funding will end Wednesday, September 30, 2026, reducing our prevention budget by $440,000,” Campbell said. “That loss negatively impacts the number of people we can provide HIV education, testing and other relevant services to.”

And Allies in Hope is not alone.

Campbell said at least two other Houston-area organizations will also see funding end September 30, while another local agency faces a similar impact in March 2027.

“This loss was one of the main conversations that floated into so many conversations at USCHA,” Campbell said.

That concern reflects a larger national transition. The direct CDC funding program supported 96 organizations, while federal HIV-prevention resources are instead being directed through state and local health departments, which can partner or subcontract with community organizations. KFF has cautioned that the new funding structure may not fully replace the resources previously reaching CBOs directly.

For Allies in Hope, the stakes can be measured in people.

The organization — founded in 1982 as AIDS Foundation Houston and recognized as Texas’ first AIDS service organization — now reports serving more than 6,000 community members. Its work includes HIV and STI testing, PrEP, rapid-start treatment, prevention education, housing assistance, food support and community outreach.

 

Against that backdrop, Campbell’s words at USCHA carried additional weight:

“Solidarity fosters justice.”

“Authenticity is a healer.”

Those are more than conference-ready phrases. They speak to why community organizations matter. HIV prevention succeeds not simply because services exist, but because people trust the organizations delivering them.

For Houston Style Magazine, a proud partner of Allies in Hope, Campbell’s presence on the national stage demonstrated both Houston’s leadership and the challenge ahead.

USCHA’s message was United and Unbreakable. For Allies in Hope, that message now becomes a mission: preserve access, protect trusted community connections and continue ensuring that prevention, education and hope remain within reach for Houstonians who need them.

Official 2026 Conference on HIV/AIDS:

2026 U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS — NMAC.

Learn more about Allies In Hope:

Allies in Hope.