Mass & Cass Clearing

BOSTON — The tent encampments have been cleared but many Wednesday night are wondering for how long. Mayor Michelle Wu set Wednesday as the deadline for the clearing. Wu says the city has been working since she took office to connect with the people living in the tents to get them help.

City Councilor Frank Baker, who represents New Market Square, is worried that simply clearing the tents and relocating the people who lived here is not enough. “I’m skeptical of moving the issues from the sidewalk to inside behind closed doors. Do the behaviors stop because they are behind closed doors? I guess we will see,” said Baker.

Mayor Michelle Wu, who set today as the deadline for the encampments to be cleared, was on the scene as the first tents were cleared. She and a team she put together to deal with the health crisis at Mass and Cass have worked to connect people with resources before sending in the crews to clear what many living and working nearby have called a depressing eyesore.

State Senator Nick Collins says the state has been working to secure more money for a variety of treatments that Boston just does not have in place.

“Everyone has to be on the same page. It’s going to be continuing. This is a start for a transition for people but it is going to be a difficult journey,” said Collins.

Pine Street Inn President and Executive Director Lyndia Downie says her team helped on the scene as crews delicately cleared tents and connected people with help. But she says the problem is very complex beginning with the state’s expensing housing costs. 

“I think we need together to be working on a longer-term plan to make sure we don’t see encampments return to that area,” said Downie.

One idea for long-term treatment is re-visiting using Long Island in Boston Harbor.

The Mayor, as we recently reported, even went over on the island to a status update but says that is at least months or years away.

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