An addiction treatment facility for women is moving to a new, modern space on Cleveland's East Side this fall. The Hitchcock Center for Women unveiled its new facilities Monday.
Overdose deaths increased 34% from 2023 to 2024 in Cuyahoga County, according to the medical examiner. A county report listed increased availability of peer support programs for high-risk populations as a priority for 2025.
The Hitchcock Center’s new space is next door to its old building on Ansel Road in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood.
“Coming from the streets to here and from here to a new place, I mean, it's just unbelievable,” said current Hitchcock resident Sabrina Pettis. “It's pretty huge for the residents. You got nice kitchens, got a little playroom. It's got like little laundry rooms and everything. It’s real nice.”
The new space can hold 42 women — an increase from 30 in its previous space — and their children up to age 12.
“There’s not really any other facility that does it like we do it,” said Jason Joyce, president and CEO of Hitchcock. “If you don't have more places like that or Hitchcock Center for Women, you're going to have more people in foster care, more people disrupted, so we're able to keep the family together.”
The new facility will have a therapist on every floor, furnished adjoining rooms and a dedicated bathroom for each client, as well as laundry rooms, a dining room and a full-service kitchen.
The dedicated bathrooms and larger living spaces go a long way for current resident Karen Warberg.
“During my addiction, I never had my own spot, so this is a big milestone for me. I've been 15 months sober,” Warberg said. “This place has saved my life.”
Hitchcock offers several education and wellness programs, such as nutrition classes, financial literacy classes, a “Women in Transition” program and other recreational, fitness and wellness activities.
The new building will also include 52 Section 8 supportive housing apartments.
Tenants are expected to be able to move into the $28 million facility — funded by the city, the county, the Cleveland Clinic and the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County Board of Cuyahoga County — in about a month.
