Home Industries Nonprofit United Community Center to build new substance use disorder treatment center on...

United Community Center to build new substance use disorder treatment center on Milwaukee’s south side

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Samantha Dietel

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Apr 15, 2025 12:04 pm

A preliminary rendering of United Community Center's planned men's residential treatment facility.

A preliminary rendering of United Community Center's planned men's residential treatment facility.

United Community Center is planning to build a new $3.3 million substance use disorder residential treatment facility on Milwaukee’s south side. The planned 14,000-square-foot facility, to be located in the city’s Walker’s Point neighborhood near the UCC campus, would provide an additional 16 beds for men seeking treatment for substance use disorder. The facility, which

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United Community Center is planning to build a new $3.3 million substance use disorder residential treatment facility on Milwaukee's south side. The planned 14,000-square-foot facility, to be located in the city's Walker's Point neighborhood near the UCC campus, would provide an additional 16 beds for men seeking treatment for substance use disorder. The facility, which would be funded by state and county grants, would offer bilingual and bicultural care. UCC operates three other residential facilities offering substance use disorder treatment — one serves men, while the other two provide treatment for women. UCC’s current 9,000-square-foot men’s facility has 16 beds and was built in 2009. UCC’s treatment programs, the first of which began in 1979, serve over 700 clients annually. The project still needs approval from the city's Board of Zoning Appeals, but UCC aims for construction to begin in June, said Lukischa Ramos, chief operations officer at UCC. Construction is expected to wrap up in June 2026. UCC purchased the site last month for $250,000, according to state records. UCC plans to demolish the house that currently sits on the property in order to make way for the new facility, Ramos said. At a time when about 30 people are typically on UCC’s substance use disorder treatment waitlist, the new facility would double the organization’s capacity to treat men, said Mara Lovo, the UCC director of human services. In Milwaukee County, men overdose at a higher rate than women. Last year, 321 men and 129 women died from drug overdoses in the county, according to the Milwaukee County Overdose Dashboard. “Most of the time, we always have a big list of men waiting to get residential (treatment),” Lovo said. “Bringing another 16 beds is going to be good for the community.” Recognizing this necessity for treatment beds, UCC applied for an opioid settlement grant from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. As a result, UCC received a grant totaling $2,955,070 from the state for fiscal year 2025 to support the creation of a new facility. Milwaukee County also granted UCC $300,000 to help expand its services, which will also be used to fund the facility project. In total, the project will cost $3.3 million, Ramos said. Perspective Design and VJS Construction Services are partners for the project. “Now this one, this particular area, is thinking about the wellness of the clients that we have,” Ramos said. “That’s including additional resources there (for) community activities, social engagement for them, maybe some exercise equipment for them.” UCC joins other area nonprofits in the effort to expand substance use disorder treatment services. Serenity Inns opened a new facility last year in Milwaukee’s Midtown neighborhood and looks to serve an additional 56 to 60 men per year. Meta House, which provides substance use treatment for women, expects to open a $30 million, 100-bed facility in the Piggsville neighborhood next year.

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