Ordinance to clear Mass and Cass encampments draws fiery debate

The debate over banning tents in the troubled Mass and Cass corridor took center stage at Boston City Hall Thursday.

A hearing over an ordinance that would ban temporary structures on public property drew strong opinions from Boston City Councilors, public health experts and other members of the community.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu filed the ordinance in late August.

The Boston City Council is expected to vote on the measure on Wednesday, and if approved, if could take effect immediately.

Signs would be posted notifying people that the tents and tarps would have to be removed within 48 hours.

Those who don’t comply could face non-criminal citations and fines of $25 dollars.

“We’ve talked about this ordinance for two months, and we’re losing a person a day to overdose,” said District 3 Councilor Frank Baker. “I don’t think the city needs an ordinance to do what they need to do.”

The Boston Public Health Commission said it’s been working on assembling outreach teams to focus on neighborhoods where people could spread out to.

That includes the South End, Clifford Park, Nubian Square, Orchard Gardens, Newmarket and South Bay.

“Any way you look at it, these tents have to come down. Whether we have an ordinance, no ordinance, I don’t care. I think we’re doing way too much posturing,” said Sue Sullivan with the Newmarket Business Improvement District.

The hearing lasted for more than nine hours, and many opinions were not swayed by the end of it.

Some said they don’t feel that it addresses the potential of crime scattering into other neighborhoods as well as the limited availability of recovery treatment options and housing.

The city’s plan to clear the tents in the coming weeks includes creating a temporary shelter across the street from Boston Medical Center.

The Boston Public Health Commission announced Thursday that it no longer plans to offer clinical services at that location.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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