$18 Million West-Side HIV/AIDS Care Campus is First of its Kind in the Nation

City officials and AIDSCare, Inc. celebrated the July 27, 2004 grand opening of the first phase of the North Lawndale AIDSCare Campus, an $18 million, 2.7-acre health care facility for Chicagoans living with HIV/AIDS.

CHICAGO, IL (PRWEB) July 31, 2004 -- City officials and AIDSCare, Inc. celebrated the July 27, 2004 grand opening of the first phase of the North Lawndale AIDSCare Campus, an $18 million, 2.7-acre health care facility for Chicagoans living with HIV/AIDS.

In addition to providing healthcare services to low-income and homeless individuals and families, the campus will become an anchor for the North Lawndale neighborhood, providing a catalyst for economic development, improved housing and other needed services.

"The North Lawndale AIDSCare Campus will be a cornerstone for change for Chicagoans living with HIV/AIDS, as well as for the North Lawndale community as a whole," said Denise Casalino, Commissioner, Department of Planning and Development (DPD). "The City is proud to be a partner in this important community investment."

DPD assisted AIDSCare by selling the 27 vacant parcels near Roosevelt Road and Kedzie Avenue for a nominal fee of $1 per lot. The Chicago Department of Public Health provided $1.7 million in Federal Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) funds for construction costs, and additional funding for future operating costs.

"The new AIDSCare campus will provide holistic treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS," said Dr. John Wilhelm, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. "It will provide everything from independent housing, to social services, to comprehensive health treatments. It is designed to be a national model for addressing all of the issues of living with HIV and AIDS."

The North Lawndale AIDSCare Campus will be the first in the country to offer a wide range of services in a centralized setting. The facility will provide supportive living for those who require direct, HIV-related care, independent housing for those requiring less daily services and medical treatment and counseling for all of the residents.

Over the last decade, the City has directed increasing resources to fight HIV/AIDS in Chicago, rising from $4 million in 1989 to more than $48 million in 2004. The City funds a wide array of community-based prevention, education, counseling, testing, treatment, housing and human services programs designed to confront the epidemic.

"Mayor Daley's commitment to Chicago's most vulnerable citizens demonstrates that we are not just a city of broad shoulders, but a city of big hearts," said Jim Flosi, founder and president, AIDSCare. "With this campus we help elevate people from homelessness and illness to a state of independence and health."

The campus will be constructed in phases. The first phase, which opened today, consists of a three-story, 18-unit Independent Family Living Residence with 12 two-bedroom units and six three-bedroom units.

As envisioned, the five-building campus has been designed to provide a continuum of care to the homeless living with HIV/AIDS. The three other buildings will be:

•    A 32-unit Supportive Living Facility for adults who are otherwise homeless and have been diagnosed with AIDS.

•    A 9,130 square-foot Wellness Facility that will raise the standard of health and quality of life for people living with disabilities in the area. The building will house a neighborhood pharmacy, wellness center and dental clinic.

•    An 8,693 square-foot Multi-Purpose Facility for use by the community and campus residents that will include meeting rooms, a chapel and banquet facilities.

The HIV infection rate in minority communities is rising. And there continues to be a dire need for social services. HIV infection rates in North Lawndale are more than double those in all of Cook County.

AIDSCare (www.aidscarechicago.org), a non-profit service organization is currently providing supportive housing and social and health services to individuals living with HIV and AIDS in the Lakeview neighborhood. Since 1992, AIDSCare has developed and managed affordable housing and providing health and medical care for the local HIV and AIDS community.

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