To the Editor:

According to the City of Boston’s 43rd Annual Homeless Census conducted in 2023, the number of unhoused adults living in the city has increased by 42 percent. Additionally, much of Boston’s unhoused population is actively navigating substance use and other mental health disorders.

Mayor Wu and a number of organizations in the Boston area have supported members of the unhoused community in finding housing and substance use treatment since clearing the Mass. and Cass encampment in November 2023. However, the “offers” for low-threshold shelters, emergency and transitional housing, medical facilities, and treatment centers do not provide our unhoused community members with the continued support and stability that they need to promote long-term wellness. This is especially true for unhoused individuals who may not have access to these facilities and programs due to restrictions around active substance use.

In response to this issue, I believe that social workers should stand united in our advocacy for a Housing First Program in Boston that would provide safe, permanent housing and uphold tenets of harm reduction.

Passing legislation to fund and to support social workers leading the charge in establishing a Housing First program would aid in addressing the prevalence of substance abuse among unhoused folks in the area. Ultimately, this program would offer a community that is systemically and socially devalued the choice and opportunity to establish a stable environment, at which point they can begin addressing subsequent and related challenges. 

Submitted by Kiara Olatunde, a candidate for a Master of Social Work degree from Boston University this spring.