Join us tomorrow (Oct 7th) to demand housing NOT warehousing, and increased harm reduction and treatment beds!
Long Island Bridge Closure Two Year Anniversary
Day of Action & Observance tomorrow!
This Saturday marks two years since Mayor Walsh and the Boston Public Health Commission condemned the bridge leading to Long Island, hastily shuttering the city’s largest homeless shelter and several vital stabilization and recovery programs for those seeking treatment for substance use disorders. Since then, little has been done in the way of meaningful action from the City of Boston to remedy the harm they caused in closing the Island in such a haphazard manor. A new men ‘s shelter was erected on Southampton Street, but still does not meet the demand. Woods Mullen has been transitioned into a female-only shelter, and also does not meet the demand for beds and it’s conditions are less than adequate. We are in the midst of a worsening opioid epidemic, which has been deemed a State of Emergency in MA since March of 2014, yet the City of Boston and State of MA haven’t taken significant enough action to reduce the number of opioid related deaths.
Please join us TOMORROW (Oct 7th) to acknowledge the continued harm and hardship caused by the closure of Long Island, the lives of those individuals who were impacted and demand swift action from the city of Boston and the state of MA.
9:00AM Rally & Speak Out at Recovery Road at the corner of Melnea Cass Blvd. & Mass Ave.
Speakers Include:
People who are currently experiencing or have experienced homelessness or are in or seeking recovery from opioid addiction and have been negatively impacted by the closure of Long Island; representatives from Boston Homeless Solidarity Committee, Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants and more TBA.
Demands:
-Housing NOT Warehousing!
People’s stay in emergency shelters should only be for a brief period of time, during which they are treated with dignity and respect. Shelters must improve facilities and implement dignified and trauma informed treatment and clear processes. Moreover, shelter services need to be increased to meet the demand for emergency beds, as Boston shelters are regularly over capacity and we expect an articulated and meaningful “winter plan” to accommodate the increased need for shelter during inclement weather, not simply shuttling people to sleep on the floor of partner service providers. People experiencing homelessness need meaningful avenues to permanent housing including a City Funded Housing Voucher Program.
-Increase Treatment Beds NOW!
Since the closure of Long Island there has been no meaningful increase in the number of stabilization and long-term recovery beds for people in active opioid use seeking sobriety. People in active use need treatment on demand! Increased stabilization beds must be sited and made available immediately and long-term recovery beds can be sited immediately in the empty facilities that have been kept up on Long Island using ferry transport and emergency boats as needed.
-Increase Harm Reduction Services NOW!
People in active opioid use, especially those experiencing homelessness, are in need of increased harm reduction services to minimize the negative impacts associated with use and allow them to live long enough to get into recovery. Legal Supervised Injection Sites, and access to existing harm reduction on demand are needed immediately to save lives.
Food will be provided during the rally. We will reconvene outside the State House at Noon.
12:00PM Rally & Speak Out at the State House steps
Speakers Include:
People who are in or seeking recovery from opioid use, family members & friends who have been impacted by a loved one’s opioid use disorder, representatives from the Boston Homeless Solidarity Committee, Boston City Mission, The Poor People’s United Fund and more TBA.
Following speakers we will invite folks to take part in a family-friendly nonviolent action to impress upon Governor Baker and Secretary Sudders the need for treatments beds and harm reduction NOW!
Demands:
In 2015, 1,531 individuals lost their lives to unintentional opioid overdoses in MA. This is an 18% increase from 2014, when 1,294 individuals lives were lost. This number is continuing to increase; drastic action is needed to save lives NOW!
-Housing NOT Warehousing!
The state of MA funds much of the operations costs of emergency shelters and the works in partnership with the city to fund and create winter plans to meet the need for increased shelter capacity as well. As such, the State needs to be held accountable for the overcrowded, unsanitary and unsafe shelters operated by the city of Boston and previous years’ unsatisfactory winter plans. We demand the state require the city of Boston improve shelter conditions, increase capacity and come up with an articulated and meaningful winter plan.
-Increase Treatment Beds NOW!
Statewide there has been no meaningful increase in the number of stabilization and long-term recovery beds for people in active opioid use seeking sobriety. People in active use need treatment on demand! Increased stabilization and recovery beds should be sited immediately in state owned facilities to save lives NOW!
-Increase Harm Reduction Services NOW!
People in active opioid use, especially those experiencing homelessness, are in need of increased harm reduction services to minimize the negative impacts associated with use and allow them to live long enough to get into recovery. Supervised Injection Sites must be legalized and opened, and access to existing harm reduction on demand is immediately needed to save lives.
For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1763260000552641/
Also, please take a moment to read this update from WBUR on what has and hasn’t happened since the closure of Long Island and why Mayor Walsh believes shelters continue to be overcrowded.
An excerpt from the piece and our thoughts:
“The city opened a new homeless shelter for men on Southampton Street in January of 2015. It converted the Woods-Mullen Shelter from co-ed to women-only. Of the detox and addiction treatment beds that were on Long Island, a majority have been replaced at various locations in the city. But the several dozen remaining ones won’t come online until next year…Despite all of the progress, the emergency shelters are still full. Walsh says that is partly due to the opiate addiction crisis and partly because Boston has become a draw due to its good support system.”
Mayor Walsh continues to defend the city’s overcrowded shelters by claiming that this is due to opioid use and an unfair burden of people seeking shelter from across the state. Yet he has not facilitated the replacement of all lost recovery service from Long Island two years later, hasn’t providing funding for increased treatment or harm reduction services, and receives state funding to operate the city shelters so has no excuse to not meet the needs of those seeking dignified, safe, sanitary and secure emergency shelter. Instead he has allowed people experiencing homelessness to rely on shelters that are unsafe, unsanitary and regularly over capacity, sending people elsewhere, or to seek refuge on their own with no meaningful avenues to permanent housing, and people in active substance use to pace “methadone mile” with no meaningful avenues to long term recovery. Mayor Walsh needs to prioritize the needs of people experiencing homelessness and those seeking recovery from
substance use disorders.
#RacialJusticeNow #RealAffordableHousing
Lastly, please support our allies Keep it 100% for Egleston in their struggle to prevent further displacement and create truly affordable housing in Jamaica Plain, Roxbury and Egleston.
Please sign their petition to demand a plan for the Jamaica Plain/Roxbury/Egleston area that protects existing residents and businesses, and builds new housing that is truly affordable to the City’s growing population. We want a plan that reflects the true community need:
- 70% of new housing should be affordable
- Include real affordable housing at a range of income levels, with an average of $35,000 a year or “40% area median income” (40% at $25,000/yr, 10% at $35,000/yr, 10% at $50,000/yr, and 10% at $70,000/yr)