2y ago

‘They’re throwing us out’: Boston begins clearing encampment at Mass. and Cass

www.wgbh.org

Boston city workers began to clear tents Monday morning near the troubled intersection of Melnea Cass Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue as part of an effort to enforce a new encampment ban across the city.

10 comments

Where do they expect these people to go?
- In all fairness, this sounds much more humane than what's been happening in some other areas.
  Outreach workers, police officers and city employees are working to take down the more than 75 tents, place personal items in storage and move some 90 people in the area into shelters.
  They referred her to one of several nearby shelters where some 100 extra beds have been set aside for those affected by the clearing.
  City workers are currently focusing on connecting people with treatment, shelter or family reunification [...]
  While I can't speak to the effectiveness of this, it's at least better than the "Throw it all in a dumpster and tell them to leave without giving it any additional thought" plan that's been executed elsewhere.
- The city officials lack object permanence. As soon as the camps are cleared, homelessness no longer matters to them.
I don't have a solution, but an idea just came to me.
For every non-primary residence someone/some company owns, add a tax that goes to a fund. That fund is then used to purchase land, build and maintain 1-4 bedroom housing, and provide utilities/services.
Anyone should have access to this housing, but it must be lived in or you lose that access. Each state should implement it so Texas doesn't just send everyone to Oregon.
- I think there should definitely be a progressive tax rate on owning single family homes for any purpose other than living in. The more homes owned the higher the tax rate. One of the only reasons I don't know if I want the government building & maintaining homes is look at how royally they screwed up public housing. I think those homes would turn into festering shit holes in a couple years just from the lack of maintenance. Personally I'd prefer to see a substantial tax credit and preferred interest rate for first time home buyers. I'd also support government lending. My federal student loans were the easiest to pay back.
- The tax part already exists. In most states you can have one property be your homestead, which reduces the property taxes. Every other property therefore pays more in taxes.
Do you suppose we could spare some of of our $870B defense budget and house some of these people?
- Housing is the responsibility of states, not the feds.
- Monday marked the beginning of a three-day clearing. Outreach workers, police officers and city employees are working to take down the more than 75 tents, place personal items in storage and move some 90 people in the area into shelters.
  Defense budget of which you speak is federal not state, and literally takes years to adjust
  Take from police budgets, create social investment programs that drive $$ to shelters, medical, and social help to help people get to a self sustainable living. Pay social workers a living wage, fund groups, employ auditors, enforce transparency, and welcome journalists
  Feed them republican meat.

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