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Jun 26, 2023

City Council to take up Mass and Cass ordinance

Mayor Michelle Wu’s new measures to address rampant issues at Mass and Cass are expected to move forward in the coming week, with an ordinance authorizing Boston police to remove tents and tarps at

Mayor Michelle Wu’s new measures to address rampant issues at Mass and Cass are expected to move forward in the coming week, with an ordinance authorizing Boston police to remove tents and tarps at Mass and Cass to be filed Monday and taken up by the City Council on Wednesday.

Wu announced a new plan to tackle the growing crisis at Mass and Cass — an area concentrated around Southampton and Atkinson streets known for drug activity and homeless encampments — featuring a new police-enforced tent ban in the area and 30-bed shelter on Massachusetts Ave.

During the announcement, Wu said she expected to file the tent-ban ordinance Monday. The ordinance would need City Council approval and is expected to be introduced at Wednesday’s meeting.

The city has previously attempted to enforce tent and tarp bans in the area, while giving individuals 48-hour notice of tent removals and without using police measures or arresting occupants.

Under the proposed ordinance, officials said, structures would be prohibited on sidewalks and public property, given that the city offers individuals shelter and transportation and stores personal belongings.

Police would maintain a presence in the area and arrest individuals who violate the ordinance.

Wu noted that drafts have been reviewed to ensure “constitutional compliance.”

At the press conference last week, Cox said police are seeking “authority to shut down the spaces that are creating the unsanitary and dangerous conditions and supporting the drug market that goes on, as well as the other criminal activities that are in the area.”

Wu claimed the number of people in the area who use tents for shelter is around 30-40, while hundreds more use them to shield violence, weapon storage, drug activity and human trafficking.

Wu said she plans to have the plan finalized and operational by the start of colder weather this fall.

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