Public commenters and council press staff to scope municipal successor to Rise Up cash program

Public commenters urged the Cambridge City Finance Committee on Feb. 26 to include funding in the FY26 budget for a municipal guaranteed-income program similar to the ARPA‑funded Rise Up pilot, which ended this month.

The appeals came during the meeting's public-comment period and were followed by council discussion about legal constraints and budget capacity. City staff said they will return with follow-up material: a legal response on whether city tax dollars can underwrite a program like Rise Up and options staff can scope for FY27.

Rise Up supporters told the committee the $500 monthly payments made a measurable difference for recipients. "We got to hear on an almost daily basis what a game changer the payments were," Tina Allu, director of CEO C, said, describing how recipients used payments "to pay for rent and utilities, to pay for childcare and summer camp, to buy nutritious food." Allu told the committee the program provided Casa cash assistance to 1,923 families.

Other public speakers echoed that account. "It was a huge help for me and my children," Tamika McKinney said, describing how the cash allowed her to "prioritize different things" in her household budget. Jenny Andre Jean, who assisted families with applications, said clients were distressed when payments stopped. Yemi Kibret said the payments "have been life changing for a lot of people," citing examples including families able to enroll children in summer activities.

Councilors pressed staff on feasibility and timing. Councilor Toner asked whether the city could use municipal tax dollars to continue a program like Rise Up; City Manager Huang replied, "We have a response to the original policy order on Rise Up and we're gonna bring that back in March. So for the March 10 meeting ... I don't think we can implement something exactly like the ARPA program, but there is probably a pathway that could be scoped out." The city's written response will be presented at a March meeting, staff said.

Members of the council signaled an appetite to prioritize supports for vulnerable residents if budget space can be found. Vice Mayor McGovern said any new spending should focus on "helping the most vulnerable people in our community" given anticipated federal funding changes and local constraints. Several councilors also said they would rather identify a single high priority to pursue now and plan for additional work in subsequent budget years.

Next steps: staff will return with a legal and financial memo on Rise Up and options for a successor program at the March 10 meeting, and the committee scheduled broader discussions on major programs and capital priorities for April 16. The Rise Up pilot was funded with ARPA (federal) dollars and ended this month; staff emphasized any municipal successor would require identifying sustainable funding sources within the city's multi-year budget outlook.