Revere allocates $143,000 from opioid abatement fund for housing, prevention and harm-reduction programs
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Summary
The council approved a $143,000 appropriation from the opioid abatement trust fund and received a five-year spending plan focused on housing supports, a youth prevention program, business outreach and street medicine.
The Revere City Council on June 23 approved a $143,000 appropriation from the opioid abatement trust fund to support a five-year spending plan aimed at housing supports, prevention/community engagement and harm-reduction services.
Why it matters: The plan creates recurring, targeted spending for opioid-related prevention and treatment activities in Revere and builds on earlier small-scale programs launched by the city’s Substance Use Disorder Initiatives office.
Plan overview presented: Public Health Director Lauren Buck, clinician Nicole Palermo and staff detailed the annual spending allocation of roughly $243,000 per year under the five-year plan and explained how FY26 spending will be divided: approximately 40% for housing-related supports ($97,000 annually, for sober-home/detox vouchers and a high-intensity housing case manager), 30% for prevention and community engagement ($73,000 annually, including a youth prevention program and grief-support grants) and 30% for harm-reduction services ($73,000 annually, including basic-needs assistance and a contracted street-medicine physician).
Operational details and outcomes: The presenters said the current opioid abatement fund balance was about $688,000 and the city expects roughly $1.2 million over five years. For FY26 the public-health team plans to: fund sober-home/detox vouchers (estimated capacity: 16 people annually at roughly $1,000 per person per month), hire a high-intensity housing case manager for 12–15 hours per week (estimated $60–$70/hour), continue business outreach (training and Narcan distribution) and contract physician time for street medicine (10–15 hours per week). The team reported 1,508 NaloxBox removals to date across locations and that business outreach distributed 224 doses and trained roughly 196 staff across the city.
Action: The council approved the $143,000 appropriation by roll call. Staff said the spending plan had been reviewed with relevant state officials and the city solicitor for procurement and conflict-of-interest guidance.
Ending: Councilors praised the work and asked staff to continue tracking outcomes and publicly post plan materials; staff said the plan and meeting minutes will appear on the city’s substance-use-disorder web page.
