Failing the sick in an ailing city
While the sick languished in alleyways and on park benches in the city with the nation's highest AIDS rate, D.C. government allowed widespread waste and mismanagement to overwhelm the city's AIDS services. A three-part documentary explores some of these groups and the lives impacted by a lack of care. Watch Video »
Latest in the series
Needle exchange programs short of money
Clients are turned away as agency struggles with payroll, supplies.
Interactive
A closer look at groups
![[DC Map]](http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/metro/aids-funding/map-icon.gif){kind=icon}
A breakdown of where the money went, highlighting questionable spending throughout the city.
The Series
Part 1
Epidemic failure
One in three of D.C.’s AIDS dollars earmarked for small groups went to organizations marked by financial problems and questionable services.
- Sidebar: A mother's struggle
Part 2
A house of miracles
An in-depth look at Miracle Hands, an AIDS group plagued by service and cost complaints but still awarded $4.5 million.
- Sidebar: Other groups try to hang on
Part 3
'OK to pay'
City paid felon to supply HIV/AIDS services despite vague business records.
- Invoice: City official signs off
Part 4
Funds bypass needy areas
Only a fraction of AIDS funds for small groups went to Wards 7 and 8, with some of D.C.'s highest infection rates.
Continuing Coverage
- Oct. 20: Officials to scrutinize spending
- Oct. 31: AIDS funding probe sought
- Nov. 12: HUD threatens to cut off funds
- Nov. 16: D.C. AIDS office must answer HUD
- Dec. 2: Activists decry D.C. AIDS policies
- Dec. 20: A revised accountability plan for AIDS funding
- Jan. 10: D.C. gains access to AIDS funds
- Dec. 31: District unveils rule book on grants
- Jan. 13: Ex-workers cite irregularities at AIDS nonprofit
- Jan. 13: D.C. AIDS initiative to focus on blacks
Discussions
Live Q & A
Post reporter Debbie Cenziper answered reader questions in an online conversation Monday, Oct. 19th at 11 a.m. Read the transcript.
Photo Gallery
Video & Audio
Reader Response
Share your experiences
Are you a staff member, volunteer, or patient at these or other area AIDS organizations? Share your experiences in a comment or send them to us at investigations@washpost.com.
- To report HIV/AIDS and health care fraud, contact the FBI.
About this Investigation
Over ten months, the Washington Post analyzed the spending, services, and finances of every specialized AIDS organization funded by D.C.'s HIV/AIDS Administration from 2004-2008, an estimated 90 groups, building a database from tax returns, audits, lawsuits, real estate records, D.C. Council records, and corporate and police reports. The Post also obtained grant agreements, invoices and government correspondence for about 60 of these groups. The newspaper also tracked the funding and location of all specialized AIDS groups that received grants through 2009 to determine how much money was spent in hard-hit wards east of the Anacostia River.
