Center for Addiction Treatment speakers urge council to restore city funding after proposed cuts

Speakers who identified themselves as clients, staff and partners of the Center for Addiction Treatment urged council to reconsider reductions to the nonprofit’s leverage and human‑services funding during the city’s final public hearing on the manager’s recommended biennial budget.

Colleen Houston, CEO of the Center for Addiction Treatment, told the committee CAT served 1,140 individuals in its detox and short‑term residential inpatient facility last year; she said over 98 percent of those patients were living below the poverty level, 28 percent reported having a permanent residence and over 40 percent were homeless. Houston said 69 percent of homeless patients received a successful discharge and that 95 percent of those who were offered housing referrals followed through.

A number of former clients and staff also addressed council. Alicia Arnold, identified as manager of access and outreach for the Center for Addiction Treatment and speaking also as a person in recovery, said, “Cat House does what a lot of other people won't, which is meet people where they are, on the streets, in the emergency rooms, and even in the jails.” Drew House, who described himself as an owner of a construction company and a former CAT client, said the program “saved my life.” Tammy Raines, who said she has worked at CAT for 15 years, described the organization’s clinical and intake operations and urged continued city support.

Supporters tied CAT’s services to other municipal priorities. Houston said that without treatment and transitional housing supports, untreated addiction and mental‑health conditions make it easier for people to become unhoused again; she suggested investments in CAT align with city goals for housing stability and workforce reentry because many employees at CAT are people in recovery who move from volunteer or entry positions into longer‑term employment.

Speakers requested council restore recommended human services or leverage support funding that would preserve CAT’s detox, residential and case‑management services. No formal council vote occurred during the hearing. The committee chair reiterated the timeline for council amendments and the final budget vote in June.

Ending: CAT’s leaders and clients asked council to consider the organization’s service metrics and to restore funding during the amendment process now underway.