BOSTON — The embattled Mass and Cass corridor has long been the epicenter of Boston’s opioid crisis.
On Tuesday, Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn filed a resolution to declare the area around Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard both a public health and humanitarian crisis.
Citing discarded needles, human feces, and pubic drug use, Flynn says the city’s current Mass and Cass plan isn’t working.
“As well-intentioned as some of the City’s efforts have been, it is wholly appropriate to finally acknowledge that the City of Boston’s current plan at Mass & Cass has been an abject failure by any standard,” he wrote.
Boston 25 News has reached out to Mayor Michelle Wu’s office for comment.
Calls in the surrounding community have grown louder over the summer after residents reported an uptick in frequent drug deals and break-ins.
311 data shows littered needle complaints have increased 42% citywide since the start of the year, compared to the same time period last year.
Boston 25 News has reported on fed up families selling their homes in the area since the pandemic.
“While it is important to remain compassionate to those struggling with drug addiction, the status quo of escalating crime and violence spreading from Mass & Cass cannot continue and requires difficult decisions‚” Flynn’s resolution read.
The Boston City Council will take up the resolution on Wednesday.
In the meantime, the Boston Public Health Commission issued a press release in May saying they’ve seen a 38% decrease in overdose deaths in 2024.
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