A presentation titled Central Square Roundtable

Public Space Activation

Central Square remains a key focus area for CPD outreach and patrols Officers connect with 50-100 individuals a week, many unhoused, and offer services to all, including a grant-based partnership on post-overdose outreach CPD continues to partner with other departments and community organizations 3 1 2 Stabilizing shelter capacity Expanding permanent supportive housing resources Continuing to enhance supportive services (e.g., First Step) Focusing on harm reduction and overdose prevention 4 5 …crime has increased in Central though remains lower than historical high points Using a narrow definition of Central Square (approximating the BID)… 70 59 47 67 208 75 70 54 69 81 91 50 46 38 56 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Shoplifting

Simple assault

Larceny of bicycle

Aggravated assault

Malicious destruction of property

Street robbery

Source: CPD Crime Analysis Unit (as of 9/30/23) The Cambridge Police Department (CPD) is tracking crime data in Central Square and has seen an uptick in certain crime types ▪Extensive visibility and data-driven work is being done within our Operations and Criminal Investigations Units ▪High-impact patrols are also conducted during the day and night shifts, 7 days a week, in areas that have seen an increase in quality of life and disorder complaints Undercover officers are also deployed in the Squares to monitor and act on any criminal activity and develop intelligence on specific issues and places and refer individuals in need for follow-up ▪These high impact patrols supplement foot patrol officers assigned to the Squares every shift (7 days a week) and officers are assigned to both Central and

Harvard Square

▪Strategically using Community Court arrest and summons process as a tool for people who are resistant to services and involved in petty crime Central Square is a key focus area for CPD patrol units 6 Officers connect with 50-100 individuals a week, many unhoused, and offer services to all, including a grant-based partnership on post-overdose outreach ▪Officers and staff are: Seeking to locate and help any unhoused residents who may be in need of services Looking to identify and mitigate any active substance use, drug transactions, abandoned property, and trespassing violations ▪On average officers are connecting with approximately 50-100 individuals a week, many unhoused, in these areas All are offered services

Many accept a Cambridge Continuum of Care “Homeless Services

Update” that helps locate and access temporary and longer-term shelter options, as well as showers, public toilets, food options, and more.

Food, water, blankets, and other needed items are also distributed, as available/when appropriate ▪Clinical support unit and social workers are central to response including getting records of unhoused sealed so people can get housing ▪Supported by a grant-based partnership with Access: Drug User Health Program on post-OD outreach 7 DHSP and the Department of Public Health are working to stabilize emergency shelter capacity, expand permanent supportive housing, enhance supportive services, and reduce overdoses 8 The level of homeless dedicated resources and mainstream affordable housing outmatched by scale of issues and need Prioritizing the most vulnerable/highest service need clients for limited housing opportunities generates challenges including for referral, vacancy time, service provision, etc.

Stabilizing emergency

shelter capacity

Funding Salvation Army Emergency Shelter and daytime drop-in ($1.3M)

Continuing funding for seasonal Warming Center ($475k/year) Extending lease and shelter services at Transitional Wellness Center ($3M/year) 1

Expanding permanent

supportive housing Emergency housing and mainstream vouchers Funding 6 FTE housing navigators/stabilization workers ($3M) 116 Norfolk St. Development: 62 studio units supporting people transitioning out of homelessness ($10M in funding provided by CAHT) 2

Enhancing supportive

services Increased funding for stabilization services ($235k), coordinated entry ($200k/year) Shower services ($150k/year) and food support ($185k)

Street outreach: First Step Street Medicine ($900k)

3 Reducing harm and preventing overdoses Expanding accessibility to Naloxone, Narcan, and fentanyl test strips Raising awareness through PSA campaigns and training Including consumer voices in decision-making 4 In 2023, the City stepped up to preserve ~100 emergency shelter beds for homeless individuals

Emergency shelter

-7

YoY change

Name Pre- COVID 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 (anticipated)

Emergency Services Center (240 Albany)

97

Cambridge Warming Center (Seasonal)

49 30

Salvation Army Emergency Shelter

43

Harvard Square Homeless Shelter (Seasonal)

Y2Y Harvard Square (Seasonal)

Heading Home Emergency Shelter

First Church Shelter

St. Pat's (Somerville)

Transition Wellness Center (Spaulding)

N/A Green St. Shelter (State funded) N/A 55 52 Total 312 305 323 334 334 11 City preserved 58 beds by extending lease to June 2025 City preserved 40 beds by providing $1.3M+ in FY23 and FY24 after state funding ended 9

Source: Staff analysis

And on a per capita basis, Cambridge provides more adult emergency shelter beds to homeless individuals than any city or town across the state Source: HUD 2022 Housing Inventory Count (HIC) raw data file, U.S. Census population estimates 2.29 2.03 1.71 1.63 1.52 1.45 1.11 0.71 0.70 0.59 0.48 0.44 Cambridge Boston Brockton Springfield Lowell Quincy Worcester Lynn Lawrence

Fall River

Somerville

New Bedford

Newton Medford Brookline Watertown Per capita emergency shelter beds for homeless households without children only (including overflow and seasonal) 0.57 statewide 10 Note on methodology: Figure presented is based on the raw data from HUD’s 2022

Housing Inventory Count (HIC)

report. This analysis includes only emergency shelter beds for homeless individuals, including all overflow and seasonal beds reported. Although Boston contains the lion’s share of the state’s emergency shelter capacity, when family shelter beds are excluded and population is considered, Cambridge has a higher density of shelter beds for homeless individuals

Leveraged ARPA funding to pair Housing

Navigation and Stabilization supports with Emergency Housing Vouchers allocated to

Cambridge Housing Authority to rehouse over

120 households experiencing or at risk of homelessness In Federal FY23 (Oct. 1, 2022 – Sept. 30, 2023), 173 households have exited homeless situations in Cambridge to stable housing – including through the Emergency Housing Voucher program, placements to Continuum of

Care Permanent Supportive Housing, and other