An area under the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge that was being used as a homeless encampment was cleaned out on the morning of April 27 by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the Massachusetts State Police, the Boston Police and Fire Departments, and a hazmat team, according to DCR officials.
Charlesgate resident George Lewis, Jr. said he noticed people living under the bridge a while ago, and last spring, there was a mattress fire under the bridge.
He said that the City of Boston “has been trying to help these people get food and clothing,” but many return to the same area after being cleared out. The DCR has also organized clean ups of the surrounding area for similar encampments in the past.
“The problem is,” Lewis said, is that “people are leaving trash everywhere.” He said this is a concern especially now with the COVID-19 outbreak. “It’s not sanitary,” he said.
He added that there are also a lot of needles under the bridge which is a safety and a health hazard. “They’ve been there for a long time,” he said.
He said that the DCR supervisor on site told him that 20 people were removed from under the bridge, and a dumpster and dump truck were filled with trash and other items that were left at the site.
“Several organizations were on-site that conducted outreach to individuals who are homeless and were using the encampment,” DCR officials said in a statement.