BOSTON (WHDH) – Crews began removing the last of the tents in the area of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard in Boston on Wednesday as city officials worked to clear the homeless encampment.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu had set a Wednesday deadline for getting people living in the area into housing and other needed services.
The Wu administration set the deadline after the Boston Public Health Commission’s survey last month identified 145 people living in the area, which has become the epicenter of the city’s homelessness, addiction, and mental health crises.
Video from the scene showed crews using bulldozers to lift piles of items that littered the area into dump trucks.
Wu was on hand for the removal process to help the remaining residents of the encampment find new living quarters.
“We’re in conversations with each and every person about how to connect them with housing and how to provide them with transportation to get them there,” Wu said.
The removal of the last of the remaining encampments is expected to be completed by Wednesday night, according to Wu.
“As of today, there will no longer be a set of encampments for people to live in because we have created enough housing to accommodate and be available to everyone who was there,” Wu said.
Norris Cowart, who has lived in the area for many years, says he’s thankful to be moving into a new home.
“To have a place to call your own, somewhere where you can live and govern yourself…You can get your life back on track,” he explained.
As of Tuesday night, 100 people had been moved into new housing from the encampments. An additional 45 people were expected to be moved in Wednesday.
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