"One of the best parts of Cambridge Cares is the housing advocate," says Hals, referring to Ken Alexander, who scours the city for available housing.

"He really casts a wide net and figures out whether to go to public housing, specialneeds housing or programs outside of Cambridge if the local programs are full."

They usually are.

None of the Cambridge Cares housing programs can house more than eight individuals at a time, and the transitional housing programs at the Cambridge YMCA and YWCA handle about 15 singles at once.

"It's getting harder and harder to find affordable housing for people who are HIV-positive," says Alexander, who heads the housing-advocacy branch of client services at Cambridge Cares. "Right now it's nearly impossible."

Alexander explains that all of his clients are homeless HIV-positive individuals in lower-income brackets looking for affordable housing in the area.

For most, Alexander tries to obtain federal Section 8 vouchers, which require tenants to pay 30 percent of their rent while the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) picks up the rest.

But the number of vouchers has been drastically reduced in the past 10 years, to the point where Alexander says individuals can spend eight to 10 years on the waiting list.

"Right now I basically rely on connections to try to get clients pushed up the list," Alexander says. "Otherwise I would have to rely on the Public Housing Authority and that could take years."

Alexander recommends that HUD increase the number of Section 8 vouchers and that the city of Cambridge create more housing-assistance programs to serve the needs of HIV-positive Cantabrigians.

Alexander says he does all he can to keep his clients close to home.

"Most of the individuals I meet with want to stay in the area," Alexander adds. "They want to stay, if not to be close to their families then at least to remain in close proximity to their medical services."

Battling the Disease

As the primary AIDS medical care provider in Cambridge, the Zinberg Clinic at Cambridge Hospital provides a variety of medical services, from prescription assessment to acupuncture therapy.

An affiliate of the Cambridge Hospital Multidisciplinary AIDS Program (MAP), the clinic staff of about 22 full- and part-time physicians, social workers and nurses regularly serves about 350 patients.