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Inside the South Boston convention center's shelter for homeless people with mild or no coronavirus symptoms
By adamg on Thu, 05/07/2020 - 8:24am
WBUR gives us a tour of the "respite shelter" at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center for people who have tested positive for Covid-19 who have no or only very mild symptoms but who want to self isolate.
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Comments
The convention center scam
I applaud the great work provided to the homeless by the medical staff. I questioned the decision to build the shelter at the convention center. Now I understand why? The Authority is getting paid big bucks to house the homeless probably more than they would get for hosting comic book conventions and trade shows.
If the feds are paying 75%, why not Long Island Bridge?
If the feds are paying for 75% of the costs of this temporary plan, how aggressively did Mayor Walsh push for emergency federal funds to rebuild the Long Island Bridge, estimated to soon cost the city somewhere around $500 million? The current, band-aid "field-hospital" won't last long in the trendy Seaport. The permanent solution of Long Island was ignored. Is Walsh ready to announce that he is saving Long Island for the private developers and mega-donors to his campaign?
Once again, we're reminded that a major, private developer played a key role in the conversion of the publicly-owned convention center for use by the homeless. We should be thankful but cautious, knowing that for private developers, Long Island is the grand prize, more valuable if homeless are kept away. Mayor Walsh has even applied for "economic development" status for an island that has seen very little commerce in 400 years. Walsh was widely criticized for his non-judicial eviction of the homeless from Long Island in 2015. He knows he will never get rid of them a second time. The media should ask Walsh his strategy for this vast city resource and why he didn't ask for federal funds when they were flowing freely.
Monomania is something, folks
Don't let it happen to you.
It is tougher than that
I used to work out there. There were several programs other than the shelter. The rent was free for the agencies. But all of the facilities were falling apart, not just the bridge. Did you know that all the buildings were connected by tunnels?
I would say that unless mega-developers are going to build Disneyland NorthEast, they can't afford to rebuild the bridge. In fact, if you were going to dot the Island with McMansions then maybe the ferry is better way to keep the riffraff out.
The bridge was going to fall. Every crossing was russian roulet. I don't see that as Walsh's fault. He was notified of the condition and waiting till a bus of homeless people drowned would not be the right choice.
It’s interesting to hear from...
.... someone who actually spent time there. Thanks.
Homeless people deserve some admiration...
... for their survival skills. Especially the long term ones.
And more importantly, they deserve safe and livable shelters such as this one. THIS sort of place is where our money needs to go.
Good work
Boston/Massachusetts are way ahead of most places in thinking of and caring for the homeless during this pandemic. The full article is worth reading. I'm impressed with the care taken to account for the needs of those homeless who are also struggling with addiction.
Addiction and Mental Illness
We do a piss poor job, as does the country as a whole, caring for the mentally ill. Nothing remotely to be proud of. Some people simply need to be in a humane institutional setting.
We have high housing costs crisis, high taxes crisis, high cost of living crisis ; our homeless crisis is mostly a result of lousy mental healthcare and / or addiction to hard drugs, severe chronic incapacitating alcoholism.