#10 – Social Issues in Central Square
In recent years, Central Square has been in the spotlight for rising rates of crime, drug use, and a rise in the unhoused population. While many news outlets report on these issues together, the police released a report that indicates the primary victims of crime are the unhoused people themselves. City councilor Quinton Zondervan, the chair of the council’s public safety committee, reported that a lot of these crimes are committed by unhoused people onto other unhoused people. He highlighted the impact of inflation and the pandemic, stating that as more people become unemployed and unhoused, the crime rate increases.
Many local business owners have raised concerns about these trends. Recently, both Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks have closed their Central Square locations. A local business owner reported that although the square has never been cleaner, “things feel worse” since the pandemic. Cambridge police are reportedly investing more resources into the safety and wellness of Central Square, but business owners are calling for the City to take greater action as more and more violent incidents are going unreported.
A report by the City of Cambridge confirmed the increase in overdoses, street robberies, and aggravated assaults since 2018. Reportedly, around 36% of aggravated assaults in Cambridge occur in Central Square, as well as 61% of street robberies. The Cambridge Police Department has increased its presence, in part to make people feel safer, as well as to observe more closely the issues that are emerging.
To combat the drug use issues, the Public Health Department is working to provide overdose prevention training, as well as distribute fentanyl testing kits. One of the biggest concerns has been the amount of abandoned needles left in the streets. The police are working with Central Square BID (Business Improvement District) to establish more safe receptacles for such waste.
The city is working to create shelter opportunities; however, there are unfortunately two upcoming closures that will reduce the shelter capacity this coming year. The Salvation Army’s emergency shelter is set to close in the spring, and a shelter at the Spaulding Hospital is to close at the end of 2023. This will bring Cambridge’s total shelter capacity from 323 beds to 230. Rather than rely on these third party shelters, the City of Cambridge should be funding the creation of such shelters. City Councilor Dennis Carlone advocated for the city buying such facilities.
In addition to the creation of more shelters for the unhoused population, there is a clear need for access to medical care. Local advocates are also highlighting the importance of opportunities for employment as the next step to reduce the unhoused population.
In January 2022, the Globe reported on the efforts to establish daytime centers, where unhoused people can drop in to stay warm, to take a shower, or to heat up a meal. Councilor Marc McGovern hopes to expand such centers so people could do laundry, use the space recreationally, and have access to health care and grooming. He also hopes for people to be offered help to build a resume or to apply to jobs.
I believe that expanding such daytime centers provides the greatest opportunities for impact in Central Square. While homeless shelters face the issue of a strict capacity limit, daytime shelters can serve a greater population, as well as provide more robust services. As the unhoused population increases, daytime centers can help create a much more positive environment for the entire unhoused community. They can not only provide basic necessities like medical care, but also help rehabilitate, through job assistance and other welfare programs.
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