City tries to clean up ‘Meth Mile,’ residents say ‘no thanks’

BOSTON — Just in case the people living in the so-called ‘Methadone Mile’ didn’t see the signs asking them to leave by Monday morning, Boston Public Health Commission workers came to remind them. They gave out letters saying the city will offer anyone shelter or treatment before being told to leave and that the city will create temporary storage for their belongings.

“His initial words were, ‘you have until 7 a.m. to remove your belongings or we will remove them for you,’” said Ronald Geddes, who has been living in a tent on Southampton Street for months after losing his job at a bakery. “They came in and said because of COVID-19 we were going to shut this place down and you were laid off and that’s where I’m at. I was collecting unemployment and it ended in September.”

Now the city says his stay has also ended.

“In all of this we need to identify beds and shelter for individuals, that’s what is needed in terms of the new protocol,” said Acting Mayor Kim Janey.

But not everyone wants to go. People in the area say, although that’s a nice gesture, they don’t want to move.

>>>MORE: Suffolk Co. Sheriff optimistic about plan to house homeless drug users in empty detention facility

“Shelters are not the answer for me, not the answer for a lot of people who don’t want to live with sex offenders and dirty people and a lot of mental health cases,” Geddes said. “I don’t think that’s the answer. I will put a tent somewhere else and then what are you going to do? I don’t want to do that and I’m not asking for a pity party, I just can’t afford the rent right now […] it’s expensive.”

“To be honest with you, I don’t like the shelter,” said another resident named Mohamed. “Too many rules. I don’t like it there. We are better in the street.”

“I know they cannot put you out in the rain, so today was a no-go for them,” said another resident named D.C.

The city said they will be back as it will be an ongoing process.

“They got all my stuff two weeks ago, they took it all,” Geddes said. “Now they’re going to take it again. The church just helped me out with a tent and now they’re going to take that.”

Suffolk Sheriff Steve Tompkins said he wants to use a closed ICE detention center for the treatment of some of the people there. He also wants a mobile courtroom so arraignments can be done right in the area.

Follow Wale on Facebook: WaleAliyuTV Twitter: @WaleAliyu or Instagram: WaleAliyuTV

©2021 Cox Media Group