Boston, MA – October 31: A worker with the Newmarket Business pulls a tarp that was the floor of a tent as work is underway to clear the tents on Atkinson Street in an area known as Mass and Cass as Boston approved an ordinance that would allow the removal of the tents by Nov. 1.
A day after tents were removed from an area in Boston known as Mass. and Cass, Mayor Michelle Wu said Thursday the city is starting to see "real signs of stability" and a "different way forward."
"I'm just incredibility grateful," said Wu. "This was truly a team effort across so many different departments, so many community organizations."
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Now cleared, residents on Atkinson Street went from living in tents to being in safe, warm placements with "the ability to start to get pieces of their lives together," said Wu.
She said community partners from various groups and organizations went above and beyond to work with each person to meet their specific needs.
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"The last two tents that were remaining yesterday, both were with residents who had pups and needed extra support with making sure the dogs were taken care as well," shared Wu. "Rather than just saying, 'OK, you know, the shelters can't accommodate this'... when I stopped by...I learned that one of the dogs was being vaccinated at that moment at the local animal shelter, so that they can continue to live with that resident in their low threshold housing placement."
Another instance, Wu said, was when Sue Sullivan, executive director of Newmarket Community Partners, went back to the storage at about 7 p.m. because the residents realized the crate for the dog had been packed up accidentally.
"It really has been an effort tailored to not only make sure that people have what they need, but that they are able to live their full lives," said Wu. "Certainly, we have worked to change the dynamic here in this area and citywide."
While the mayor acknowledged that the city hasn't "solved the entire challenge," she said they have "shifted the dynamic and that is a big step forward for Boston."
Tania Del Rio, director of Coordinated Response Team, said they were able to place 102 people in different settings, including in shelters and low threshold units. Five people were provided transport to the general shelter in the overnight.
"We see this as a milestone in a long road that has many more miles," said Del Rio. "It's an important one because the safety and the health risks that were present in the encampment are no longer our concerns. We are now turning our attention to providing outreach citywide."
Moving forward, mobile response teams will be watching for other encampments while also offering help to those on the streets. The city will also follow up with residents.
Boston police said for the next 30 days, they will have a command center on Atkinson Street and that multiple units will be patrolling the city in case tents are being set back up.
On Oct. 25, the City Council voted to give police the authority to clear the area amid reports of violence and drug use.
