Overview
- Mayor Daniel Lurie said all city contracts for the Managed Alcohol Program have ended and the program will close this year.
- Launched in April 2020 during COVID, the program aimed to prevent dangerous withdrawal by providing metered alcohol doses to homeless clients housed in hotels.
- The initiative cost about $5 million annually and served 55 people over its run, averaging roughly $454,000 per client.
- Community Forward, the nonprofit operator since 2023, confirmed the city ended the program and has faced scrutiny over its recent revenues and compensation.
- Lurie framed the decision as part of a recovery-first strategy that has halted distribution of fentanyl smoking supplies, even as the city reportedly has about 68 detox beds for thousands who cycle through homelessness.