Wisconsin: More Than a Roof Over Their Heads

The Wisconsin House in Milwaukee is the state's oldest and largest residential facility for people with HIV, serving about 60 people each year. Open since 1994, the 27-bed facility is a partnership between the AIDS Resource Center (ARC) of Wisconsin and Blessed Trinity Parish, an area Catholic church.

Residents of Wisconsin House have access to medical and dental care, and the facility offers support services that include counseling and treatment for depression and alcohol and drug abuse issues. While the facility requires residents who are unemployed to find a job within 28 days, "We don't throw people out," said Roma Hanson, Wisconsin House's vice president for social services.

"This is a place where [patients] can obtain respite," said Hanson. "It's whole-person care. We don't just treat the disease." "Our hope is to work with an individual as long as it takes until he or she can get back on his or her feet."

Recently, ARC received a $1.2 million, three-year grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The money, said ARC President and CEO Doug Nelson, will allow the agency to make upgrades to the kitchen, laundry facilities, community rooms and bedrooms.

"We are living in a brand-new era," said Nelson. "If patients get good health care, they can live a longer life. Quality housing is an integral part of good health."

For more information on Wisconsin House or ARC, telephone 414-273-2437.

Back to other news for November 14, 2006