Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, today released the following statement in response to the passage of a new City of Boston ordinance allowing police to force people out of their tents on City property, including at Mass. and Cass:
“Everyone deserves to be safe and treated with humanity, regardless of whether they have stable housing. We know that attempts to criminalize homelessness and sweep people out of sight consistently fail to solve the public health and safety challenges unfolding in areas such as Mass. and Cass. Especially as Massachusetts faces an emergency family shelter crisis, and just days before families and children will be shut out of the state’s emergency shelter system, policymakers at every level must do all they can to ensure our state’s most vulnerable people, children, and families have access to safe shelter.
“The ACLU will be watching to ensure that people’s rights are not violated in the execution and enforcement of this ordinance. The City must ensure that people's property is safeguarded, and that available temporary housing includes realistic options for the people who will be displaced from their only living situation and cannot sleep in congregate settings due to disability or family circumstances.”
