A new rule enacted by Boston’s Democrat mayor will go into effect on Nov. 1, giving police authority to dismantle a homeless tent city in a neighborhood in Boston that has been used to shield drug use and other crimes.
The corner of Melnea Cass Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue in the south part of Boston known as "Methadone Mile" has for years been occupied by tents and tarp covers and tragically dwelled by people struggling with substance addiction.
The area has been riddled with crime, prompting mayor Michelle Wu to begin the process of dissolving the tent encampment, a process which will start on Nov. 1.
A report in the Boston Herald said that residents of the tent city have been notified of the new rule in several languages. Any newcomers to the camp will be met by a coordinated team of social workers and law enforcement who will inform them that no new tents will be allowed.
"There is no magic wand in a very complex, long-standing challenge that cities around the country are facing with the opiate crisis, homelessness, mental health, but we know that in Boston we have a very good sense of, not only who it is that needs services, but also how to most effectively connect people with those services," Wu told local outlet WCVB.
According to the Herald, the problem – which Wu inherited from former Mayor Marty Walsh before he was called up to serve in the Biden administration -- persisted despite her efforts to connect the between the 80–90 people on any given day to social services. That number was decreased from roughly 200 per day, according to reports.
Wu’s plan to solve the problem is three-pronged, starting with allowing police to remove tents and tarps is the first step, followed by connecting them with housing and other services.
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According to the Herald, people at Mass and Cass will be offered a ride to temporary housing, but will not be allowed to camp there any longer. The tents and tarps they use for shelter, Wu’s team said when announcing the ordinance, are also used to hide drug use and other crime.
City Council President Ed Flynn told the Herald he has communicated with the Mayor over his desire to see a "zero tolerance" approach at Mass and Cass.
"We have rules in place, and people need to follow the rules," Flynn told the Herald Friday. "If they break criminal laws, they need to be arrested and prosecuted."
The third aspect of Wu’s plan is a "heavy" police presence in the area to crack down on crime.
"We want to make it clear to the people who come to the city with a different intent, whether it’s to sell drugs or criminality, or to victimize the people that are in these areas, we’re not going to allow that," Police Commissioner Michael Cox said.
The ordinance will take effect as the state continues to grapple with a migrant crisis, perpetuated by what one Republican lawmaker says is an outdated "right-to-shelter law" which entitles migrant families to emergency shelter on taxpayer dimes.
Earlier this month, the state said there it is on track to hit its shelter capacity of 7,500 families or about 24,000 people — by the end of October.
Gov. Maura Healy said there are numerous contributing factors, including "federal policies on immigration and work authorization" as well as a lack of affordable housing and the end of COVID-era programs.
Republican state Rep. Peter Durant told Fox News Digital in an interview that while he’s glad to see Mayor Wu addressing the serious problems on Methadone Mile, leaving the immigrant shelter crises to devolve to result in more tent cities.
"We’re spending just an enormous amount on housing these migrants that come in, yet we're seeing these tent cities pop up. There's no room at the end for anybody else," he said.
Durant's amendment would require that anyone who receives benefits from "right-to-shelter" be a legal resident for a minimum of three years. Durant says it's likely that some of the homeless individuals leaving "Methadone Mile" tents would be eligible for shelter under his proposal.
