‘Need to do more’: Boston continues to clear Mass & Cass

BOSTON - Boston city officials worked Wednesday to clear people who continue to gather along Southampton Street near Mass and Cass. Mayor Michelle Wu says they have made progress in the area but there are still lots of people and there are safety concerns especially with traffic makings its way by the area.

Boston regularly sends crews in to deep clean the streets and sidewalks around Mass and Cass. Susan Sullivan is the executive director of the Newmarket business association and has been working with the city to address these challenges for years.

“We are making progress. If you talk to the biz owners and residents down here it’s hard to see because there are still a lot of people out here,” said Sullivan.

“We need to do more. We are in a better place than a year ago when there were very intense encampments and dangerous fires and cold weather,” said Wu.

Mayor Michelle Wu was on scene as crews helped relocate people. She admits there is still a problem here but it’s much bigger than just tents and people gathering. “Until we are eliminating poverty and the opioid crisis here in Boston we will continue to see an impact,” said Wu.

The city says the goal today was to clear the sidewalk along Southampton Street because of the traffic issues but some business owners say it is just moving the problem block to block.

Doris Wong runs Fook-Pak Express on Atkinson Street. “It’s out of sight out of mind. People drive down the street and say oh, everything is wonderful again because they hid it right back on the side streets,” said Wong.

Wong says the city needs to open the sidewalks around the shelter so they can gather there. “My customers can’t go up and down the street but the point is why are they block the shelter. Why don’t they let them encamp in front of their building,” said Wong.

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