When I came to Boston 40 years ago the first place I stayed was at the old Harbor Lights shelter on Shawmut Ave in the South End. Back then the South End was one of the few neighborhoods in Boston where a young black man could feel safe. At the time Boston was still dealing…
Advocates, Legislators Rally for Rent Control to Protect tenants
Dozens gathered outside the Massachusetts State House on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at a rally in support of legislation that would reinstate rent control in Massachusetts. The state eliminated rent control after Massachusetts residents voted to do so in 1994 by a very slim margin, with 49 percent in favor of keeping it, and 51 percent…
Are you equipped to respond to an opioid overdose?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 1999 to 2017 more than 702,000 people died from a drug overdose. In 2017, more than 70,000 people died from drug overdoses, making it a leading cause of injury-related deaths in the United States. Of those deaths, almost 68 percent involved opioids. Communities are taking…
‘Clean sweep’ becomes policy
The Walsh administration has announced an initiative aimed at clearing homeless people from the Melnea Cass/Massachusetts Avenue neighborhood, in a follow up to last summer’s action against Boston’s homeless, known as “Operation Clean Sweep,” with its Melnea Cass/Mass Ave. 2.0 plan. “While no neighborhood or group of people has escaped this crisis, the areas of…
Mass. political leaders hold roundtable on ‘medical deferred action’
Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Edward Markey hosted a roundtable discussion on immigration policies. Photo by Max Reyes Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Edward Markey on Monday questioned how the Trump administration was handling about 400 requests for medical deferred action that were reopened after the administration walked back an attempt to end the practice.…
Mass. protests round up of Cambodian residents
Tammie Christopulos of Lynn was in the shower last Saturday morning when her doorbell rang. She knew what it was: a deportation order for her husband, Saray Im, who was born in Cambodia but has lived in the United States for the last 35 years. “My husband is not a threat to anyone in the…
Hospitals give $3 million to Boston homeless organizations
Three major Boston hospitals are working together to tackle housing insecurity over the next three years. Boston Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital will provide $3 million in funds over the next three years to organizations that are aiding those struggling to afford rent or are facing eviction. All three hospitals…
Prison industry can’t hide from human rights violations
Roughly 500 protesters — led by 19 different organizations — gathered in downtown Boston on Sunday, August 4, to take a stand against the American Correctional Association. The ACA, an accreditation agency for prisons and detention centers in the United States, held its annual Congress of Correction at Hynes Convention Center from Thursday, August 1,…
Criminal justice system failing young women on multiple fronts
Boston College Professor Francine Sherman testifies before law enforcement and legislators on how trauma leads younger women to commit crimes. photo by Sarah Betancourt A group of legislators, advocates, and law enforcement officials met at the Massachusetts State House Tuesday, July 30 for a monthly meeting during which they discussed raising the age of entry…
Cop accused of rape released on personal recognizance
A former Lowell police officer is expected back in court at the end of August for allegedly raping a homeless teenager back in 2016. Kevin Garneau, 49, of Pelham, New Hampshire is facing two counts of rape in connection with an alleged series of sexual assaults of a homeless female while on duty, according to…