BURLINGTON — Downtown business owners say the move of a syringe service program to Bank Street has changed the conditions on the block, and they want the city and service providers to address what they call a growing public-safety problem.
At the end of June, Vermont Cares took over the syringe service previously run by the Howard Center on Clark Street and relocated it to a site on Bank Street. The organization has expanded operating hours to two days a week and is deploying mobile units, according to state health officials.
What residents and merchants are seeing
Owners of downtown restaurants say customers are increasingly reluctant to sit on outdoor patios because people experiencing substance use disorder are approaching them. Chiuho Sampson, who runs Single Pebble near City Hall Park, said the activity feels immediate and close to her business.
“I think it’s always in my backyard. It just amplifies a little more,” said Sampson.
Todd Raymond, another downtown restaurateur, said open drug use has been affecting his bottom line and that the situation has intensified in recent weeks.
How providers and the state describe the change
Vermont Department of Health Interim Deputy Commissioner Shayla Livingston said the department sought an organization with experience and community partnerships when it identified a new operator for the program.
“We weren’t looking for a location, we were looking for an organization that we knew had the experience and the ability to partner well with the community,” Livingston said.
Officials emphasize that syringe service programs and overdose prevention work are intended to prevent disease spread and save lives. Vermont Cares is expanding the model that operated on Clark Street by increasing days of operation and adding mobile outreach.
Neighbors, services and enforcement
The block now has two distinct harm-reduction presences: Vermont Cares’ Bank Street distribution site and a nearby effort by Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform, which is preparing to operate an overdose prevention center and is currently distributing supplies just down the street.
- Providers: Vermont Cares; Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform.
- Services added: Expanded hours (now two days/week), mobile units, ongoing distribution.
- Community concerns: Reports of increased open drug use and customers avoiding patios.
The state recently instituted a policy asking users who take syringes out to return them. Asked whether returns and distribution numbers were improving, Livingston said the numbers are increasing greatly and that the programs were making "huge strides."
| Provider | Location (general) | Operating notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vermont Cares | Bank Street | Now open two days a week; mobile units deployed |
| Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform | Nearby, same block | Distributing supplies; will run an overdose prevention center |
Business owners say they want a coordinated response that preserves life-saving services while reducing impacts on commerce and public comfort in outdoor dining areas. City officials and program operators have been asked to work with merchants on mitigation strategies, according to providers and health department comments.
The issue highlights an ongoing local debate: how to balance harm-reduction efforts that state and public-health experts say reduce infections and overdoses with downtown businesses’ concerns about safety and customer experience. Officials underline that syringe service programs are evidence-based public-health tools, while merchants call for additional measures to address open use and street-level disorder.
News Block will continue to monitor city and provider responses as Vermont Cares and other organizations expand services on Bank Street.
