Advertisement
Boston's Morning Newsletter
In wake of Supreme Court ruling, Brockton advances encampment ban
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
Happy Halloween! The weather should be great for trick-or-treating — perhaps even too warm depending on your costume. Don’t have a costume yet? Radio Boston has you covered with ideas for last-minute, Boston-themed ideas. Or if you just want to listen to spooky stories from the depths of the internet (or the depths of the MBTA system), we have that, too.
We also have the news. Let’s get to it:
Supreme Court ruling ripples: This past June, the Supreme Court ruled that cities can punish people for sleeping in public places — even when they have nowhere else to go. Now, the decision is hitting home in Massachusetts. The City of Brockton is poised to pass a new ordinance prohibiting camping and loitering in public, including current large encampments like that at D.W. Field Park. It’s one of the first local ripples from the court’s decision. (Fall River passed a similar ban last month, as did Manchester, New Hampshire earlier this summer.)
- What’s Brockton’s current policy? Brockton has no law against sleeping outside. Prior to the Supreme Court ruling, court precedents prohibited Brockton from removing people or tents unless they could provide people with adequate shelter. While the city’s MainSpring shelter says it does not turn anyone away, it has a limited number of beds and mats, and is often overcrowded.
- What would the new policy do? The proposed ordinance broadly bans loitering in any public place, including parks, sidewalks, parking garages and bus stations. Anyone found in violation will be given a verbal warning to leave before being hit with a $50 fine. Brockton City Council president Moises Rodrigues told WBUR’s Fausto Menard he’s sympathetic to the plight of unhoused individuals, but said the situation in Brockton has gotten out of control. “People are constantly harassed,” Rodrigues said. “It’s been the pressures from the business community and the residents that actually has forced us to take this action.”
- The response: Some critics in Brockton say the move does not address the complexities of the current public health crisis. John Yazwinski, the CEO of the shelter operator Father Bill’s & MainSpring, thinks the regulations would be harmful. “This ordinance would effectively send vulnerable individuals into the repeated cycle of streets, of jails, of shelters, hospitals and other institutions,” Yazwinski said. He added the policy will just move encampments elsewhere, while costing taxpayers money.
- What’s next: The Council is expected to pass the ordinance at its next meeting, after giving it preliminary approval this week.
Advertisement
Inside City Hall: The Boston City Council passed Mayor Michelle Wu’s new compromise plan to temporarily shift more of the city’s property tax burden onto businesses by a vote of 12-1 yesterday. (Councilor Ed Flynn, an increasingly persistent Wu critic and potential 2025 challenger, was the sole no vote.)
- The proposal now heads back to Wu’s office for her signature, before continuing on to the State House. Wu says they’ll have to act fast to avoid major January tax hikes for homeowners.
- ICYMI: Here’s what to know about the compromise plan and what it would mean for homeowners and businesses.
Not so fast: Newbury’s iconic Pink House has gotten a reprieve from the wrecking ball. Gov. Maura Healey announced yesterday the planned demolition — which could have started as early as this week — is on hold, after an anonymous donor pledged to give $1 million to save the storied tourist (and photographer) attraction.
- What’s next: Healey says talks with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which now owns the property, could begin next week.
(Holy) sea change: Richard Henning officially replaces the retiring Cardinal Sean O’Malley as the Archdiocese of Boston today. Hundreds of cardinals, bishops and priests are expected to attend the installation mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston’s South End.
- Henning comes to Boston from the Diocese of Providence, where he served as leader for about a year. Before that, he was an auxiliary bishop on Long Island. WBUR’s Cristela Guerra has more here on what we know about Henning and O’Malley’s legacy.
P.S.— Here & Now staffers shared their all-time favorite Halloween movies, including suggestions on both the scary and not-so-scary side (in case you want the autumn vibes without the jump scares).
