South End neighbors oppose active drug users moving into new affording housing units

BOSTON — A new affordable housing project proposal near the Mass and Cass corridor is reserving 10 percent of its units for people who are homeless.

Neighbors in Boston’s South End told Boston 25 News they want to make sure that active drug users won’t be moving into those apartments.

They said they have yet to receive any guarantee from the city of Boston so far.

The Worcester Square Neighborhood Association said tentative plans to redevelop 4.4 acres of Boston Water and Sewer Commission parking lots into 402 residential units have quietly pushed forward without community input.

“The city broke the project into several smaller projects to avoid triggering the guarantee of rigorous community participation,” said a letter from the Worcester Square Neighborhood Association to the Boston Zoning Commission.

The five parking lots slated for future construction cover 17 parcels in Roxbury near the South End line between Melnea Cass Boulevard, Harrison Avenue, and Washington Street.

The project aims to create 402 units.

79 will be owner-occupied and 323 will be rentals with at least 33 reserved for people struggling with homelessness.

“What we’re afraid of is that the city will be pulling people off the streets and just giving them apartments,” said South End resident George Stergios.

Stergios said the controversial temporary housing program at the Roundhouse Hotel proved what can go wrong when active drug users are allowed to move in.

“Everything that comes with people who are actively using, like prostitution, theft, squalor, and drug dealers,” he said. “They didn’t listen to us, and everything we said was going to happen, happened!”

Neighbors are pleading for the city to hear their concerns and listen to their advice.

“We think a priority should go to people who are economically homeless. Homeless because they lost their jobs, or they have jobs and still can’t afford to live in the city of Boston,” added Stergios. “Otherwise, people who have completed treatment.”

The Worcester Square Neighborhood Association has a meeting with the Boston Planning and Development Agency on Monday night ahead of a Boston Zoning Commission hearing on Wednesday.

“Multiple people from the city and the Boston Planning and Development Agency have not given us a commitment,” said South End resident Andy Brand. “We feel like our request is very reasonable.”

The Worcester Square Neighborhood Association’s opposition letter lays out the community’s desire for more concrete answers.

“Nothing in the developer’s proposal or city agencies’ communications indicates that they are prepared for the impact of having a large number of drug users on the project and in the community,” the letter states. “When asked, BPDA stated that additional security was not a requirement for the MOH homeless set-aside.”

A spokesperson with the Boston Planning Department responded to Sunday’s request for comment from Boston 25 News on Monday night.

“The Homeless Set Aside (HSA) policy is a requirement for any 10+ unit rental project receiving MOH funding, including those with market-rate housing. This policy only pertains to rental housing, not homeownership housing, so there will be no HSA units in the first or last phase buildings. For those buildings where HSA units are required, they will be filled with people who have experienced homelessness - including families,” said in a statement.

Brittany Comak, Assistant Director of Communications for the Planning Department, said potential residents will be background checked and will not have a history of violent crime.

“Additionally any illegal drug use or crime on the property by any tenant is cause for eviction, and the development team intends to include security cameras at each building,” she said. “The Boston Water and Sewer Commission parking lots were identified as a high-priority opportunity site for community planning in the City’s 2022 land audit. Since that time, there has been a robust community process to ensure the disposition process aligned with the needs of the community.”

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

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