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Cambridge to invest opioid settlement money in street-medicine van and harm-reduction services
Summary
City staff told the Human Services and Veterans Committee that Cambridge has allocated $500,000 of opioid abatement funds to expand its street-medicine program (new van and operations), and outlined plans for incremental settlement payments and community-driven spending priorities.
Vice Mayor McGovern convened the Cambridge Human Services and Veterans Committee to hear an update on local opioid response work and use of opioid abatement funds.
City staff and public-health officials described a multi-year approach to harm reduction, prevention and treatment access. Danielle McPeek of the Cambridge Public Health Department said the department’s weekly overdose data from Pro EMS show a decline in average nonfatal overdoses over recent years but cautioned that EMS-derived data undercounts events when people do not call 911. "The Cambridge Public Health Department collects weekly overdose data that is shared with community partners," McPeek said, noting the limits of EMS-only data.
City staff briefed the committee on expected opioid settlement payments and early local allocations. City staff explained that the statewide settlement will direct roughly 60% of funds to the state and 40% to municipalities; Cambridge is expected to receive incremental payments through 2038. Staff reported that Cambridge has received about $2.6 million to date and has allocated $500,000 of local abatement funds to support its street-medicine program: $200,000 for a new van and $300,000 for operations to supplement ARPA funding.
The presentation framed the street-medicine van as an extension of outreach begun during the COVID pandemic, partnered with service providers including First Step, Caspar and Cambridge Health Alliance. City staff said the van delivers medical outreach, harm-reduction supplies (including Narcan and fentanyl test strips), wound care and referrals to shelter and treatment. A city presenter said the new van is expected to be on the road in three to four weeks.
State Department of Public Health officials praised Cambridge’s community-centered planning for abatement funds and encouraged municipalities to follow the same approach. Robbie Goldstein, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, described the statewide abatement pool as a generational opportunity and urged use of funds to support prevention, low-threshold housing and increased access to medication for opioid use disorder.
Community members at public comment urged prioritizing resources for people at highest risk rather than backfilling existing municipal expenses. Jim Stewart of 1st Church Shelter told the committee the city should use settlement dollars to reach people who are not being reached now. "Why can't we use the opportunity this money represents to do something that's actually gonna reach into the population that's most at risk," Stewart said.
What happens next: the city manager and public-health staff said the substance use advisory committee will refine recommendations and that the city will continue community outreach and intergovernmental coordination as it develops a spending plan for future abatement payments.
