ROXBURY – Months after the city removed it, a homeless enclave is back in Mass. and Cass, and residents and businesses say it’s worse than ever.
You can hear the frustration of Domingos Darosa’s voice at Roxbury’s Clifford Park.
“If you walk around the park, you’ll find countless needles,” said Domingos Darosa of the South End-Roxbury Community Partnership.
The field is about half a mile from the neighborhoods that back up to Massachusetts Avenue and Melania Cass Boulevard. It doesn’t take long for Darosa to find evidence of homelessness and addiction where Pop Warner teaches football.
“I don’t feel safe anymore because a lot of these individuals are listening,” Darosa said. “They’re pulling knives. They’re using syringes as weapons and they’re becoming more aggressive.”
Despite the city’s efforts to clean up the Masses and Kus, the people returned with their tents and umbrellas.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the warmer weather will bring more homeless people outdoors, many of whom have clearly been using drugs, trying to clean up the mess left behind.
Businesses in Boston’s South End say it’s disappointing to see things aren’t better on the Mass and Cashier side.
“They clean it up and it’s right back there the next day,” said restaurant owner Nicole Leo. “A lot of people are coming to the streets and going to the bathroom and we’re still leaving a lot of needles there.”
Leo says she is still finding needles in her plants.
Officials describe it as a humanitarian crisis. Both residents and business owners are losing hope for a solution.
“Look how far we’ve come,” Leo said. “It’s not too far in the last two years.”
Tiffany Chan
