Boston to begin removing tents from Mass & Cass corridor this week

BOSTON — Boston police officers and public health officials will begin the process of removing tents from the city’s Mass and Cass section this week.

Police and health officials on Wednesday will start enforcing a new ordinance that bans tents and tarps from public streets after the Boston City Council approved the measure last week and notices were posted in the area.

The ordinance comes as the corridor continues to see open drug use and homelessness.

Under the new ordinance, police are allowed to clear tents and tarps as long as the person living in a tent is offered a place to shelter, a ride to that shelter, and help with storing their belongings.

It also eliminates a $25 fine for those who refuse to comply with the ordinance and requires city officials to track available shelter space daily.

City officials say they’ve set up or identified about 100 temporary shelter beds for those leaving the tents.

The process of clearing tents from the area will cost about $439,000, city officials have estimated.

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