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1. What is Calcutta House?
2. Who is eligible to live and receive care at Calcutta House?
3. How does someone apply to live at Calcutta House?
4. What will it cost me to live and receive care at Calcutta House?
5. What care and services does Calcutta House provide?
6. What are the physical environments like at the two Calcutta House homes?
7. If I live at Calcutta House and my physical or mental conditions worsen, will I have to leave?
8. If my health improves to the point that I no longer need the care and services of Calcutta House, where will I live?
9. Since Calcutta House does not depend upon the ability of its residents to pay the full cost of its services, how are these services paid for?
10. How can I contribute money to Calcutta House?

What is Calcutta House?

Calcutta House is a highly supportive housing program located at 1601 W. Girard Avenue in Philadelphia, PA. Calcutta House has 18 private rooms for adult men and women who are seriously ill due to AIDS requiring nursing and other supportive care that they cannot get at home, but who do not need the intensity of care of a hospital or skilled-nursing facility. Calcutta House also has four one-bedroom apartments for adults with AIDS who are able to live independently but require financial support through rental assistance to do so.  And, Calcutta House recently opened a new, second house called Serenity Court at 1221 No. 19th Street, to provide housing and care for homeless men and women with AIDS, who are seriously ill or dying.

Our mission statement: 

Calcutta House exists to serve the most fragile people with AIDS and to support the self-empowerment of each person to live as fully as their situation permits.

We provide supportive housing with services responsive to the individual: those who are dying, those who are able to rebuild their lives and move on to independence, and those who will continue to require the assistance of supportive housing.

We work with each person to progress towards his/her potential and to achieve attainable and realistic goals.

Calcutta House is fully handicapped accessible.


Who is eligible to live and receive care at Calcutta House?

To be accepted for admission to Calcutta House, you must:

• be 18 years or older
• have an AIDS diagnosis and be symptomatic
• have a clearly identified (AIDS-related) need for the services provided
• have no alternative place or no resources available to receive care elsewhere
• be a resident of the Philadelphia Eligible Metropolitan Area (EMA)
• not require licensed skilled nursing or hospital care
• not be ventilator dependent or require isolation
• not require nurse-assisted enteral (tube) feeding
• not have serious (level 3 or higher ) decubiti (bedsores)

• 24-hour-a-day nursing and home health aide services to assist each resident with:
• activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, eating, etc.)
• housekeeping and laundry services
• obtaining and administering prescribed medications
• conferring with residents' primary care providers to assess changes in medical status and administer appropriate, timely care and treatments
• managing and keeping medical appointments
• accessing additional prescribed medical services (physical therapy, hospice, etc.)
• health education
• recovering from and/or coping with physical disabilities
• ongoing care assessments, treatment planning and monitoring

• assistance with accessing services and benefits for which they are eligible
• referrals to case management and behavioral health services
• social and therapeutic activities (individual and groups)
• goal-oriented life-skills and educational support services
• psychological and psychiatric consulting services
• access to spiritual and holistic support services (on- and off-site)
• family support services
• assistance in seeking alternative and appropriately supportive, long term housing
• 3 nutritious meals each day, snacks and nutritional supplements as needed

Therapeutic and recreational activities program including, therapeutic massage, arts and crafts programs, in-house celebrations, and trips to cultural and social activities like movies, plays, concerts, picnics, shopping, bowling, bingo, sports events, etc.

Transportation to medical appointments, therapeutic, and recreational activities.

A nurturing, therapeutic home environment.

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What are the physical environments like at the two Calcutta House homes?

Independence Place has 18 private bedrooms, each with a private 1/2 bath, cable TV, hospital-style bed, bedside and bathroom nurse-call system, and locking storage for valuables. Each room can be equipped with private telephone service, at the resident's expense. The house is three-stories with an elevator, fully handicapped and wheelchair accessible.

Besides each resident's private room, there is a community room with TV, stereo, piano and family room-style furniture; a small, eat-in dinette; a large, comfortable community dining room; a fully staffed nurses station; accessible, private shower and bathing rooms; laundry facilities; a house phone for incoming calls to residents; an intimate quiet room for private visitation; Internet-linked computers for residents' use; and a large, backyard deck and colorful garden that is fenced for complete privacy and security. At the center of the house is a staircase, spiraling to the upper floors, and topped by a beautiful skylight. The basement has a recreation room with pool table, ping pong, and exercise equipment. In addition, Calcutta House has two, multi-passenger vans to transport individuals and groups to and from appointments and activities.

Our four, one-bedroom apartments have a private entrance, and are also attached to the main house for access to the elevator, laundry facilities, and backyard.

Serenity Court was designed to meet the special needs of those very ill and dying due to AIDS. There are private rooms for nine residents, each with a toilet and sink. The need for quiet, restful environment was a primary concern. Each resident room will have a window that faces into the garden courtyard, permitting a connection to nature and the passage of time. The interior, landscaped courtyard is designed to enhance the daily lives of the residents and staff by integrating daylight and landscaping into common spaces and resident rooms. A spacious Common Room will provide a place to go that is easily accessible to those who are wheelchair bound or have impaired mobility, but have the will to remain active and engaged in life. The residents will have varying degrees of mobility, therefore the design is fully ADA accessible.

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If I live at Calcutta House and my physical or mental conditions worsen, will I have to leave?

Calcutta House employs expert professional nursing and social service staff, all of whom are highly trained and experienced in working with people with AIDS and AIDS-related illnesses. In many cases, residents whose medical conditions worsen or become terminal are able to continue to reside at Calcutta House. In those cases, Calcutta House will work with each individual, their medical service providers, and families to insure that the care they require is available to them at Calcutta House whenever possible. In many instances we are able to assist residents in arranging for outside professional services, such as home health nursing, hospice, and other care, to be provided to them at Calcutta House to supplement the care we provide so that they can remain in our home for as long as they wish.

Of course, in some cases there may be circumstances in which it is best for the health or safety of a resident and/or Calcutta House to arrange alternative placement. Such situations might include a need for acute medical services (hospitalization), infectious or contagious conditions which require isolation, serious mental health emergencies which endanger either the safety of the individual or the community, or repeated behavioral problems which interfere with the security or well-being of the home's community. Except in emergency situations where immediate relocation is unavoidable, our staff will work with a resident and their providers and families, to secure an appropriate, alternative placement. In many cases, where a temporary transfer to another care facility can alleviate an emergent condition, Calcutta House may arrange to hold space for a resident. Such situations are determined on a case-by-case basis, and in a manner that best serves the resident, as well as the community. At all times, it is our over-riding mission and goal to make Calcutta House a safe, comfortable, and medically appropriate home for everyone residing here.


If my health improves to the point that I no longer need the care and services of Calcutta House, where will I live?

From the time that a new resident arrives at Calcutta House, our staff works with each individual to progress towards his/her potential and achieve attainable and realistic goals. In the case where an individual recovers sufficiently, Calcutta House works with them to identify and obtain an appropriate living arrangement to meet their personal need for both independence and support. This partnership in goal planning is immediate, ongoing, and adaptable so that every individual has the opportunity and adequate time to set and attain goals that are acceptable, appropriate to their needs, and allow the time necessary to transition to alternative housing in a safe, secure and comfortable manner.
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Since Calcutta House does not depend upon the ability of its residents to pay the full cost of its services, how are these services paid for?

Calcutta House receives public funding from many sources, public, private foundations, corporations, churches & religious groups, and individual contributors. You can see a list of our benefactors from the past two years by clicking on any of the links above.

Fifteen percent of our annual costs is supported by individual donors, who demonstrate their commitment to and support of the vital services we provide to men and women with AIDS through their loyal contributions.

You too can become a financial supporter of Calcutta House. You can make a contribution in support of our AIDS housing and services by secure online donation, by credit card over the telephone call (215) 684-0480, M-F 9:00am to 5:00pm EST, or by mail payable to:

Calcutta House
1601 W. Girard Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Attention: Development Director


Calcutta House is a non-profit, 501(c)3, registered charitable organization. All contributions to Calcutta House are tax deductible. A copy of our official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

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