'General Cleanup' Organized For Boston's 'Methadone Mile' Starts

BOSTON — Starting Monday morning at 7 a.m., Boston city officials will prepare to remove the tents which line both sides of the street near the "Methadone Mile," according to a flyer posted in the area of the weekend.

Notices in the area of Theodore Glynn Way - a side street off of the intersection between Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard read that "all items must be removed from the space by Monday at 7 a.m., for the City of Boston is conducting a 'general cleanup' of the area."

The flyers say the organized cleanup is due to health, environmental, and sanitary concerns.

This act comes less than a week after Acting Mayor Kim Janey issued an executive order declaring substance use disorder and unsheltered homelessness in the City of Boston a public health crisis, citing the area where the flyer was found in particular.

Speaking in Boston City Hall Tuesday, Janey said these tents cannot continue to exist on the streets. She said these tents cannot provide adequate needs for survival as the weather gets colder, especially in an environment surrounded by street violence and drug use daily.

Often referred to as the "Methadone Mile" or "Mass & Cass," tent after tent line both sides of the street leading up to the McDonalds at the Mass Ave and Melnea Cass intersection, one of Boston's busiest areas.

"Methadone Mile" once lined mostly just Melnea Cass Boulevard, with an occasional tent here or there, but in recent months a "tent city" has formed slightly beyond the main drag.

"Unsheltered individuals deserve respect and dignity," Janey said Tuesday, adding that some people may refuse help if offered and if that is the case, enforcement will be used.

Janey said enforcement will be only be used as a last resort, ensuring that the removal of the tent will be a pathway to services, treatment, and shelter before these notices were posted over the weekend.

ALSO ON PATCH:

• Janey Declares Public Health Crisis For Addiction & Homelessness
• Mass. & Cass Causing Trouble Next Door: The HUB
• At Mass. And Cass, 'Even The Rodents Are Getting Sick': The HUB
• The Focus Turns To Mass. And Cass: The HUB
• 'Humanitarian Crisis' At Mass. And Cass: The HUB