VOCAL-NY (Voices Of Community Activists & Leaders) is a New York-based grassroots membership organization that builds power among low-income people in order to create healthy and just communities. VOCAL is intentional in drawing connections between homelessness and the HIV and AIDS epidemic, understanding that access to housing impacts access to medication and the ability to maintain a regimen. In this video, VOCAL explains how it uses political theater and direct action as creative tactics to address housing policies as part of their work to end the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Commissioned in 2018 as part of ALTERNATE ENDINGS, ACTIVIST RISINGS, a program of short videos from six inspiring community organizations and collectives that highlights the impact of art in AIDS activism and advocacy today.
