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Boston Public Health Commission details harm-reduction, shelter and opioid-settlement spending as part of FY26 budget review
Summary
Boston Public Health Commission staff told the City Council’s Ways and Means Committee that the commission is expanding harm-reduction services, syringe-collection efforts and shelter-to-housing placements and has begun deploying opioid-settlement funds to family supports, community grants and clinical services.
Boston Public Health Commission staff told the City Council’s Ways and Means Committee on May 8 that the commission is expanding harm-reduction services, increasing syringe collection, and directing opioid-settlement funds toward family supports, community grants and clinical services.
Commission staff framed harm reduction as one component of a continuum of care and cited recent program statistics and new outreach efforts. “Harm reduction is 1 vital component to keep people who use drugs alive,” the presenter said, describing AHOPE (Access Harm Reduction Overdose Prevention and Education), mobile outreach and enhanced syringe-collection work.
The commission said it distributed 768,481 syringes in fiscal 2025 through April 1 and collected 1,023,245, a ratio of 1.33 collected for every syringe distributed. Staff described expanded syringe-collection teams that respond to 311 requests and a new workforce-development pilot hiring clients in…
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