September 1, 2021, Boston – Candidate for Mayor John Barros today released a statement in reaction to the closure of the comfort station and unacceptable inaction to address the concurrent crises at Mass & Cass by the Acting Mayor.
“In May, I released a comprehensive plan for addressing the concurrent opioid epidemic, public health, and public safety crises at Mass & Cass. At the time, I said that we couldn’t afford to wait for a new mayor to address the situation; we needed immediate action this summer, including a 24-hour street outreach team to provide relief for the people coming to Mass & Cass and the area’s residents and businesses.
“Instead of addressing the needs, the Acting Mayor and the City Council have overseen a summer of inaction and violence, and the crises at Mass & Cass have multiplied. Our politicians have failed us. Now, on the first day of Recovery month, they have closed the comfort station that was there to reduce overdose deaths, connect individuals with recovery services, and reduce the strain on surrounding neighborhoods. We need a real commitment to helping people recover and providing the resources to address the crises at Mass & Cass. That’s what I’ll bring to City Hall on day one as Mayor.”
John Barros is the proud son of immigrants from the Islands of Cabo Verde in West Africa. He is a lifelong resident of Roxbury and Dorchester, where he still lives today with his wife Tchintcia and his four young children.
John Barros became a community organizer at the age of fourteen. He eventually became Executive Director of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, where he led transformative, community-based efforts to build affordable homes and protect families from displacement; create schools and youth programs, and invest in public health and public safety in a way that had never been done before.
The following is a video interview of John Barros by bostonese.com. He talked about why he is running for mayor and his vision for Boston in this interview.