Every year, drug addiction leaves numerous Massachusetts residents homeless. Hundreds of them have set up encampments at a tent city in Boston.
Often called “Methadone Mile,” it’s located at and around the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue (Mass Ave) and Melnea Cass Boulevard.
While many of the homeless people here strive to stay sober, they face daily harassment from drug dealers as well as the Boston police. Here’s why lawmakers have long struggled to resolve this crisis.
Boston’s “Methadone Mile” Crisis
Methadone Mile (also known as “Mass and Cass” or “Recovery Road”) is located in Newmarket, a section of Boston that includes parts of Dorchester, South Boston, Roxbury, and the South End. It’s near Boston Medical Center (BMC).
As the name suggests, Methadone Mile is home to many methadone clinics. A methadone clinic is a facility where healthcare providers administer methadone. Methadone is a medication that helps treat opioid use disorder (also called opioid addiction) by easing opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Homelessness & Addiction
Along with methadone clinics, Methadone Mile also offers many homeless shelters, mental health services, primary care services, and other important resources for people in crisis. That’s why so many Massachusetts residents experiencing addiction and homelessness flock to the area.
Open-Air Drug Market
Unfortunately, Methadone Mile also attracts hordes of drug dealers who prey on those striving for sobriety. In fact, the area is often described as an open-air drug market. The constant availability of drugs leads many people to relapse.
To make matters worse, the Mile and surrounding city don’t offer enough drug treatment and housing options to meet demand.
Lack Of Addiction Treatment & Housing
In general, an effective addiction recovery plan starts with medical detox. During detox, healthcare providers help the patient safely get drugs out of their system. They may also prescribe methadone or other drugs that ease opioid withdrawal symptoms, such as Suboxone.
After completing medical detox, the patient enters an addiction treatment program that includes individual and group therapy sessions. Finally, they enter a transitional housing facility, where they strengthen their recovery skills in a safe, drug-free environment before returning to normal life.
Most people on Methadone Mile have no trouble accessing the first phase of recovery, medical detox. However, it’s much more difficult to access the other types of treatment.
Simply put, the area does not have enough treatment programs to serve all those struggling. This is largely due to the closure of the Long Island Bridge.
Long Island Bridge Closure
This bridge was the only access point to Long Island, which had sheltered much of Boston’s homeless population since 1928. It contained Boston’s largest homeless shelter, the Long Island Shelter, as well as Boston’s largest detox center, Andrew House.
Overall, it was home to 57% of the city’s post-detox addiction recovery beds.
In 2014, the Long Island Bridge closed after the Massachusetts Department of Transportation deemed it unsafe. As a result, the island’s homeless shelters and addiction treatment centers also closed, leaving hundreds of homeless people with nowhere to go.
Most of them headed to Methadone Mile.
Around this same time, the opioid crisis escalated, leading people from other parts of New England to seek treatment at the Mile. The area’s treatment programs and homeless shelters quickly became overcrowded, an issue that continues today.
Possible Solutions
In 2018, then-mayor of Boston Marty Walsh announced his plan to rebuild the Long Island Bridge and place a drug treatment facility on the island. However, the city of Quincy opposed this plan because the bridge is only accessible through Quincy.
Since then, Mayor Michelle Wu has echoed Walsh’s intention to build a recovery facility on Long Island, though Quincy continues to fight against the idea of a bridge.
In the meantime, Wu’s administration has attempted to find other ways to rehome drug users on Methadone Mile and improve public health.
Affordable Housing
On February 16th, 2023, Wu announced a $67 million investment to create 802 affordable housing units in Boston. These units may help people get off Methadone Mile so they can focus on recovery without facing constant triggers on the street.
If you or someone you love struggles with drug use, please reach out to Northeast Addictions Treatment Center. Just minutes from Downtown Boston, our substance abuse treatment programs offer personalized, evidence-based care to help you or your loved one thrive.
Sources
The Boston Globe — Life and loss on Methadone Mile
NBC Boston — Mayor Michelle Wu Announces Plan to Create 800 Units of Affordable Housing in Boston
WBUR — Homeless Displaced By Long Island Bridge Closure Remain In Flux
WCVB — Humanitarian crisis on Boston’s ‘Methadone Mile’ grows worse
WCVB — Solutions to address Boston’s Methadone Mile addiction, mental illness, homelessness crisis
