Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Residents and councilors press to restore transitional wellness center and Rise Up funding as budget talks continue
Summary
Several public commenters and councilors urged the finance committee to include funding to continue the transitional wellness center and the Rise Up program in the FY26 budget; speakers proposed using free cash or small tax increases focused on high earners to avoid cutting services for vulnerable residents.
Public commenters at the May 8 finance committee meeting urged the council to restore funding for 2 services they described as essential to Cambridge's support system for unhoused and very-low-income residents: the transitional wellness center (often referred to as the Spalding shelter) and the Rise Up program.
Speakers at the start of the budget hearing told the committee the services provide critical stability and prevent people from returning to the streets. Jim Stewart of First Church Shelter said closing the wellness center would be…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
