BOSTON (WHDH) - Boston city officials cleaned up the area near Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, or Mass and Cass, where neighbors said safety concerns remain.
Although Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston Police said this is a weekly occurrence, they also acknowledged the issue with the recurring nature of the need for these cleanups.
Wu rolled out a surge of additional resources for the area, where many unhoused people live, about 10 months ago, aimed at solving the issue. She admitted at a Wednesday visit to the site, though, that there’s more work to be done.
“Until we are eliminating poverty, there will be a crisis here in Boston, we will continue to see an impact,” she said.
She insisted her strategy has had some success, including moving at least 200 of the people there into temporary housing and dozens into permanent housing. She said a cleanup last year cleared the more fortified encampments.
Wednesday morning, police moved many of the people off the main streets, where interactions with traffic are a danger. Wu said, though, that without a lot more help, not much can change.
“We need to have the funding and support from the state and from our partners to be able to meet this level of demand,” she said. “As it continues to grow, and as Boston continues to be a hub where people know that services are available, we have not been able to meet the demand, and more need has grown.”
The mayor said part of the plan is to “de-densify” the area, but said they’d clarify what that means and answer additional questions in a Thursday press conference.
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