By Guy Page
Burlington’s planned Overdose Prevention Center will move forward without supervised consumption of illegal drugs in its initial phase, according to a status update circulated this week by Building Burlington’s Future, a local advocacy group that has been meeting with city and state officials.
$1.1 million in state funding for the pilot safe injection site project was approved by the 2024 Vermont Legislature, over the veto of Gov. Phil Scott.
In a lengthy Dec. 20 email to supporters, BBF said the city has concluded that allowing on-site, supervised consumption of controlled substances would require more preparation, staffing capacity, and community engagement than is currently feasible.
As a result, supervised drug use will not be part of the center’s first phase.
Instead, the initial focus will be on treatment, stabilization, and connecting people struggling with substance use disorder to care and recovery services.
“The City has determined that supervised consumption isn’t part of the first phase of this project,” BBF wrote, describing the approach as a way to move forward with services that can be implemented more quickly while broader questions remain unresolved.
The update comes amid ongoing debate in Burlington over how to respond to drug use, overdoses, and public safety concerns in the downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. Proposals for supervised consumption sites — sometimes referred to as “safe injection sites” — have drawn sharp opposition from some residents and lawmakers, even as harm-reduction advocates argue they can save lives.
BBF said it has spent recent weeks meeting with the mayor’s office and the governor’s team, sharing observations “from the ground” and urging closer alignment between city and state strategies. The group pointed to recent developments such as the launch of the Accountability Court and improved coordination among local and state partners as signs that collaboration is beginning to take shape.
While supervised consumption is off the table for now, other major decisions remain unresolved. The location of the overdose prevention center has not yet been announced, and the full range of services it may eventually offer is still under discussion.
BBF said the city plans additional opportunities for public engagement as details are finalized and encouraged residents to follow city updates or contact city staff for more information.
The group characterized its role as pushing for “practical steps that make our community safer” while expanding access to treatment and recovery, stressing that its work is focused on policy outcomes rather than partisan politics.
City officials have not yet released a formal timeline for opening the center, but BBF’s update signals that Burlington intends to proceed with a model centered on treatment and connections to care — without supervised drug consumption — at least in its opening phase.