Problems have rebounded at Mass. and Cass following Boston's efforts to improve the condition of the area.
Domingos DaRosa is running out of patience. The community activist says he is exhausted from the daily battle of keeping nearby Clifford Park clean.
"I have found loaded needles, I have found bags of different types of drugs, from crystal meth, to a mixture of heroin, and fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, used needles, used condoms, human feces," DaRosa said. "You name it, we find it."
On Thursday, tents were set up on Southampton Street, and more than 100 people gathered, often spilling into the street.
A spokesperson for the city says between 150-250 people gather in the area, and crowds have swelled, as they often do during the summer.
"I am not happy," Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said. "In any case, we're in a different place than last year, when, at this moment, there are already hundreds of fortified encampments, and so there are 19 different cleanings happening every single week, and resources are being provided, streamlining the services, but we still have a lot more work to do."
The city says it is increasing services in the area, including working with the Boston Public Health Commission and Boston Police Department.
"What is happening right now isn't working," Boston City Councilor Erin Murphy said. "We have empty beds in detox, we have beds at night in homeless shelters, but a lot of those down at Mass. and Cass are not choosing that option at this time, so how do we encourage them, and get them to a place where they are ready to start this road to recovery? Or else I believe we are just going to continue to see the crowds grow."
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On Thursday, members of the city's outreach team could be seen patrolling Clifford Park.
"The City of Boston is focused on addressing the crisis in this area through equity-focused, public health-led policies that address the needs of people experiencing homelessness, substance use disorders, and behavioral health issues," a city spokesperson said. "Each person within this population has unique needs and requires resources from a continuum of services, such as health care, behavioral health care, substance use disorder treatment, harm reduction, and more … The City of Boston is constantly working to connect them with the appropriate services to support their health and wellbeing."
All this has done little to reassure DaRosa, who sees the issues everyday.
"This is going to keep happening and it is only going to keep growing," he said.
