Boston City Councilor proposes ‘regional fund’ for neighboring communities to assist with ‘Mass and Cass’

Boston City Councilor John Fitzgerald says its time for other Massachusetts cities and towns to pay up after years of Boston footing the bill for the drug emergency and homelessness at Massachusetts Avenue and Melena Cass Boulevard For too long the city has shouldered the burden of the region and the states substance and mental wellness abuse issues Fitzgerald revealed Greater part of the folks down there are not Boston they re from other places The trouble plagued area known as Mass and Cass has changed since when Mayor Michelle Wu put a tent ordinance into place requiring encampments on the streets come down Now with clean up crews and -hour safeguard that area isn t as overrun But Sue Sullivan the executive director of the Newmarket Business Improvement District says the problems have not gone away They just get moved explained Sullivan The idea is that just become uncomfortable and they ll think a lot choosing therapy rather than hanging on the street corner Instead the issues have spread to other areas of Boston How can we get the folks who need help help and also clean up the quality of life for our residents here Fitzgerald noted Fitzgerald sought his fellow councilors to consider creating a regional fund that local communities could contribute to I ve already been solicited What are the details Whose involved What s the dollar amount we re looking for But its just the beginning of the conversation Fitzgerald reported It s a talk that Sullivan says is overdue Its not a question of bullying its saying we d can t do it all Sullivan disclosed This is a polite ask to our neighboring communities to be good partners and help out because down the line the other consequences would not be as fun Fitzgerald stated There are times when the city of Boston may say we ve had enough and we ll see what happens then