[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6574134,"mediaKeyId","3111950-08559aa88a05721cb718afe3cd659dbe","parentId",3111950,"title","Councilors weigh Transition Wellness Center closure, housing vouchers and a successor cash program","audioSeconds",1941,"startMs",3415000,"endMs",5356000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3111950-08559aa88a05721cb718afe3cd659dbe&start=3415&end=5356","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3111950-08559aa88a05721cb718afe3cd659dbe/thumbnail_3415000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6574134/Cambridge-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Councilors-weigh-Transition-Wellness-Center-closure-housing-vouchers-and-a-successor-cash-program","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6574134-09a401b0e1eb532c1c34056064071d97/orig.mp4?Expires=1771181829&Signature=cR0oyIPUt5T5XNiQsFvv2Rt4NyzqD3vM-sn0mTtXIpHjDrgqQyY0ZPPuHs430gJnuNaEXPi~v3ufXjWUDwkh2MMenW0OXz~kMifvXYV43fK4XR81TkHn1Z2eoXYAPwdd1oexBkJOmqkqlhKZgTrM48uubEluf7njlTFWlSA~U9mexQ1GChEmi2xr7EY7INPM~LO6JOUvrGKm2fnuLAC4DAIVbOrr8wTnsLDojn8qW3WA9sg2-AcGACxXEt2cy5B6NGhAd5eDWqC5KCoBEyAPfLVi~DTfSu60gCMNjoxtEj8RcTdhooDx2JfoDlzuQIdKyQobFRNoXy7eioZ69VzYFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Cambridge, MA","date","2025-04-24T11:39:00Z","article","The Finance Committee heard detailed questions and public comment Tuesday about homelessness supports, emergency housing vouchers and proposals for a successor guaranteed-income program as staff warned of federal funding threats to several services.

Assistant City Manager Claire Spinner told the committee that city staff expect to need to backfill some federal supports and that the proposed $5 million stabilization fund could be used to shore up programs such as housing stabilization and emergency vouchers. Spinner said slides presented to the committee identified three high-concern areas: housing stabilization for mixed-status families (the presentation estimated about 40 families could be affected), emergency housing vouchers that rely on roughly $4 million in federal funds (about 130 individuals could be affected), and the Transition Wellness Center, which staff have been discussing in recent committee meetings.

On immediate placements, staff said the Spalding-run Transition Wellness Center currently has about 22 people who had not been placed into permanent housing; staff estimated “perhaps 5” could be housed in the next month or two but that “there are likely, at this point, to be, 16, 17, 18 people who are not placed.” City staff warned that seasonal shelters are closing for the summer and that regional shelter capacity is already strained.

Public comment focused on both direct cash assistance and shelter preservation. Geeta Pradhan of the Cambridge Community Foundation urged the council to “prioritize cash for these families,” noting the city’s prior guaranteed-income pilots and the high cost of living for low-income households. Tina Alou of CEOC said tax-season demand for food and services remains high and urged continuation of a Rise Up successor program; Dan Totten urged councilors to find $3 million to keep the wellness center open and said the center “has been one of the most effective shelter programs Cambridge has ever implemented.”

Council discussion included questions about whether the affordable housing trust can be used to fund vouchers; staff said trust funds are legally limited to preservation or building of affordable housing and do not generally cover vouchers. Staff said any use of the proposed stabilization fund would be subject to later appropriation votes by the council.

Ending: Councilors repeatedly pressed staff for clearer numbers and for options that prioritize housing stabilization and prevention. Staff committed to returning with more detailed scoping of trade-offs and to identify how stabilization dollars might be appropriated if the council chooses to do so.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Cambridge - Apr 16, 2025 3:00 PM - Finance Committee - Committee Meeting - Apr 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Finance Committee heard detailed questions and public comment Tuesday about homelessness supports, emergency housing vouchers and proposals for a successor guaranteed-income program as staff warned of federal funding threats to several services.","taxTitle","Cambridge City, Middlesex County, Massachusetts","taxId",3771,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6574138,"Cambridge finance committee proposes $5 million stabilization fund as federal funding uncertainty grows",1669,1926000,3595000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3111950-08559aa88a05721cb718afe3cd659dbe&start=1926&end=3595","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3111950-08559aa88a05721cb718afe3cd659dbe/thumbnail_1926000.jpg","/articles/6574138/Cambridge-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Cambridge-finance-committee-proposes-5-million-stabilization-fund-as-federal-funding-uncertainty-grows","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6574138-eaaea06478c2a49933be32a5a84e6edf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771181829&Signature=hosaC~-MDWCdW5SK4TgvYFximVBmE053Fz0V5LskezjB0VwNu-WAa2JnghyhTe2v41A0R0ud~ovx~Rfz9ObLszmRf47GbufbC2b~op7ZP07uy6tSDqsDQdJw~5ne574Fmv-rtt9VW3UO5Owf~9ZvQJaJ8nyq7NPoT7RG2ZwEVd0UXoxgN6Ixsh~R7y8F-yZD4rmD285C2C62ComLJUwvSAQyHmXlTmZJ61jVcsgQ48YgWg~WDSZg3XVrwWXqXlEwTVtLOLOkqR3TT03cxzKW-KF-09vt8kjcsUr5TfDtrFAtNiua231kL0HquuGG~rwtLMeQ6Jjx3PL6Mjiq7biC8A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Councilor Cher Nolan, chair of the Finance Committee, opened a discussion Tuesday on the city’s multi-year budget outlook and a staff proposal to set aside $5 million in one-time free cash for a stabilization fund to address expected federal funding shortfalls.

The stabilization-fund proposal was made by Claire Spinner, assistant city manager for finance, who told the committee the money would be “taken from our free cash and put into a stabilization” and would be intended to cover potential federal grant reductions in the coming year. Spinner said the $5 million is a one-time use of free cash and that, because items funded with the fund could create ongoing costs, the city would have to “find that $5,000,000 in '27, '28, and '29” within future operating budgets.

Why it matters: City officials said federal funding that supports housing, homelessness services, special-education and other programs could shrink rapidly. City staff framed the stabilization fund as insurance that preserves the city’s ability to respond if those grants disappear, while also stressing that using free cash now requires tradeoffs in future budgets.

Key details: Spinner said the city’s FY26 planning targets were a property-tax-levy increase “less than 8%” and operating-budget growth of about 3.5%–4%. City staff described a longer-term debt-service policy cap of 10% of operating budget, with an internal target of 9% to provide leeway for higher borrowing costs. Spinner and the city manager warned projections made earlier this year were likely optimistic and said the city must preserve “financial flexibility” in the face of volatility in commercial property values, borrowing costs and federal grant programs.

Staff emphasized the proposal’s limits. The $5 million would come from one-time free cash; staff said committing to more than that would be difficult because the city must be able to absorb the ongoing budget impacts when one-shot funding rolls forward. \"We are still committed to our budget targets,\" Spinner said, and added the administration will “work to find efficiencies” so the one-time transfer can be integrated into future operating plans.

The discussion also covered the budget drivers underlying the recommendation: multi-year investments that became annual operating obligations (the presentation cited universal pre-K growth from roughly $9 million a year to $39 million) and rising projected debt-service costs tied to a wave of capital projects.

What was not decided: The committee did not adopt a formal appropriation for the stabilization fund during this meeting. Staff described the $5 million as a recommended funding level and said any appropriation from the stabilization fund would come back to the council for an appropriation vote.

Ending: Councilors signaled differing priorities for how to use limited resources in coming months but largely agreed the city should preserve flexibility while preparing a transparent prioritization process for FY27. Staff said they will return with scope and trade-off analyses to support council decisions.

","City staff recommended using $5 million in one-time free cash to create a stabilization fund to backfill likely federal grant losses and preserve fiscal flexibility while council and staff set multi-year budget growth and tax levy targets.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6574128,"Law department: meeting may proceed despite Zoom outage; council extends committee meeting 15 minutes",4806,1701000,6507000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3111950-08559aa88a05721cb718afe3cd659dbe&start=1701&end=6507","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3111950-08559aa88a05721cb718afe3cd659dbe/thumbnail_1701000.jpg","/articles/6574128/Cambridge-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Law-department-meeting-may-proceed-despite-Zoom-outage-council-extends-committee-meeting-15-minutes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6574128-1f7fd047e29cd3552c40981ae1c7dc19/orig.mp4?Expires=1771181829&Signature=k5Q6f~o0Qwu0YpG1~qVscMxGHe27-uJSIOdDahkrBqSVJ8p88HLtuxFYcRd636KSBtj~ar3pQuYLg-i3DRKyrVuVJzFzgYIiliujAt7tNxc00A4TXzTQsr3~FYUeXboZyKDvsHnp2EnABat1d38fGXbabS~~lScBJa89MBW6U1dcikUMh8~9OhGn2C5iUrEBghcdEt0prHxyK0YayNYC8Y8rf~eAV8RmLYBTDgKg1fWBNNtnp2ZTjvtS5oPBur0vFg5ZbdmtGhqnu6-gc3hU~CyccMDEYsWiSMoxqxEa9iLBS3vKXeQKhtRNxK0bvgvhkWQ8XR11R1kpXUWlopnO~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Finance Committee began the session while the city experienced a widespread Zoom outage. The deputy city solicitor told the committee that regulations implementing the state authorization for remote participation allow the chair discretion to address technical difficulties and do not require cancellation of the meeting if reasonable efforts are being made to restore remote access.

The solicitor cited 940 CMR 29.1 §6(D) and the committee referenced Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2025, which authorized the city to use remote participation for council and committee meetings. Based on that advice, Councilor Cher Nolan, the committee chair, said she would proceed with the meeting and make accommodations for public comment from people who could not participate remotely.

Later in the meeting the committee voted, by roll call, to extend the meeting by 15 minutes to allow additional discussion and public comment. The roll call recorded seven members in the affirmative and two absent (Councilor Zine and Mayor Simmons). No individual mover or seconder was recorded in the transcript for the extension motion.

Ending: The extension preserved time for ongoing discussions and public comment while staff continued to attempt remote-service restoration; the legal opinion on remote participation was recorded in the meeting minutes for the record.","The city law department advised the Finance Committee that, under recently enacted state authorization for remote participation and associated regulations, the chair has discretion to continue a meeting during technical failures; later the committee voted to extend the meeting by 15 minutes (7 recorded yes, 2 absent).","actionData","errors"]

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Councilors weigh Transition Wellness Center closure, housing vouchers and a successor cash program

Cambridge finance committee proposes $5 million stabilization fund as federal funding uncertainty grows

Law department: meeting may proceed despite Zoom outage; council extends committee meeting 15 minutes