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Dig Bos

The Dig - Boston's Only Newspaper

CURRENT STREET EDITION

DIG 23.05 – 4/8/21

THE SHAME OF OUR CITY: HOW BOSTON FAILED BELLA BOND AND BEYOND

Written by EMILY HOPKINS Posted September 21, 2015 Filed Under: COLUMNS, Free Radical, News

Copy of NEW WEB HEAD TEMPLATE

 

For months, Boston has been on edge over the mystery surrounding an unidentified toddler found off of the Deer Island peninsula in Boston Harbor. Now, with law enforcement reportedly finding answers this past weekend, the story of the baby’s short life has been overshadowed by the sordid past of her guardians, or lack thereof.

 

Bella Bond’s birth parents had run-ins with the law, her mother a history of drug use. In recent days, her biological father told reporters that she was conceived at Occupy Boston while he and her mom, back then a couple, were homeless. Not long after, Bella was born while her mom was living in a shelter in Roxbury.

 

Boston failed Bella and her mother, and they’re not alone. In the past year, we’ve seen a spike in homeless families in Boston, according to the city’s annual count. This tsunami of inadequate infrastructure and opiate rehabilitation options collides with continued fallout from the closure of Long Island, and with and the resulting suspension of transitional treatment programs, for which the Boston Public Health Commission is still searching for a suitable replacement site.

 

Meanwhile, the total number of homeless persons (men, women, and children) in the city has increased by about 18 percent, while the number of homeless adults in treatment since the aforementioned interruption has significantly decreased. Mayor Marty Walsh has lauded the city’s efforts to respond quickly, as have many parrots in the media, and certain praise may be in order. But for individuals and families on the street, eight months is an excruciatingly long time to wait for a bed, especially during the winter. That’s how long it took to replace some of the Long Island services with a new facility on Southampton Street.

 

Spin the story any way you wish, and the fact remains that Mayor Walsh severed a lifeline for many of Boston’s homeless right before one of the worst winters in history. Blame whomever you want, but in our cruel city, where we struggle to find shelter and affordable housing for those in need, many luxury apartments built using taxpayer-funded subsidies are left empty for months while realtors hold out for top dollar. Another inconvenient fact: Boston rolls out welcome mats for developers, and scrambles to provide basic services for its most vulnerable residents.

 

We just passed the autumn equinox. The days are getting shorter, and the temperature is beginning to cool. Many people are still complaining about last winter, yet the fearful prospect of another bunch of blizzards is already the talk of the town. With another cold front coming, the city doesn’t only need a better plan; instead, our leaders need to try imagining what winter feels like on the street. Without that basic sense of humanity, the trends in place right now will surely lead to more unspeakable deaths that could have been prevented.

 

EMILY HOPKINS
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Filed Under: COLUMNS, Free Radical, News Tagged With: Baby Bella, Bella Bond, Boston, Homeless, Long Island, mayor Marty Walsh, Occupy Boston, Southampton Street

WHAT’S NEW

THE OPPONENT: NEWCOMER MCBRIDE TAKES ON BAKER IN D3

THE OPPONENT: NEWCOMER MCBRIDE TAKES ON BAKER IN D3

THE IMPORTANT ART STOLEN FROM BOSTON THAT NOBODY SEEMS TO CARE ABOUT

THE IMPORTANT ART STOLEN FROM BOSTON THAT NOBODY SEEMS TO CARE ABOUT

PICS & RECAP: JUSTICE 4 DUANTE WRIGHT JUSTICE 4 ALL EMERGENCY RALLY 

PICS & RECAP: JUSTICE 4 DUANTE WRIGHT JUSTICE 4 ALL EMERGENCY RALLY 

A SHORT DOC ABOUT HOW DIGBOSTON WEATHERED A PANDEMIC YEAR

A SHORT DOC ABOUT HOW DIGBOSTON WEATHERED A PANDEMIC YEAR

FULL PARKING ENFORCEMENT RETURNS TO BOSTON, BLUEBIKES STILL AVAIL FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS

FULL PARKING ENFORCEMENT RETURNS TO BOSTON, BLUEBIKES STILL AVAIL FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS

EMERGENCY PRESS CONFERENCE AND RALLY FOR DAUNTE WRIGHT

EMERGENCY PRESS CONFERENCE AND RALLY FOR DAUNTE WRIGHT

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DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an e-mail blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: [email protected] To reach Editorial: [email protected] For internship opportunities: [email protected]