Boston leaders propose new plan to tackle Mass and Cass drug crisis

The 'choice-based' approach aims to get addicts off the streets and into long-term recovery programs.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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Boston community leaders have proposed a new three-pronged plan to address the open-air drug market and addiction crisis at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, known as Mass and Cass. The plan focuses on recovery, judicial, and public safety initiatives to get addicts off the streets and into long-term treatment, rather than the current 'fragmented' approach of detox or jail.

Why it matters

The Mass and Cass area has long been the epicenter of the region's opioid crisis, with rampant open-air drug use, dealing, and crime. Last summer saw a particularly bad spike in activity, leading to increased public safety concerns for residents and businesses. The new plan aims to provide a more comprehensive and compassionate approach to address the crisis.

The details

The proposed plan would expand specialized units like the police department's NEST team, which is trained in diversion and deflection, to work alongside 'CORE teams' of people with lived recovery experience. This would help get addicts into treatment instead of jail. The plan also calls for establishing a 'recovery court' to divert addicts into treatment programs rather than traditional criminal charges. A 'preferred provider network' and case management teams would then closely monitor patients' progress through recovery.

  • Last summer saw a particularly bad spike in drug activity and crime in the Mass and Cass area.
  • The city has referred close to 480 people to treatment since September 15, 2025.

The players

John FitzGerald

Boston City Councilor and co-chair of the community working group.

Sue Sullivan

Executive director of the Newmarket Business Improvement District and co-chair of the community working group.

John Moran

State Representative and co-chair of the community working group.

Michelle Wu

Mayor of Boston.

Kellie Young

Director of the mayor's coordinated response team and co-chair of the community working group.

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What they’re saying

“The whole goal is to get people into long-term recovery and make sure they're not falling through the cracks.”

— Sue Sullivan, Executive director of the Newmarket Business Improvement District (Boston Herald)

“The status quo is not acceptable. We absolutely cannot go back to what we had last spring and summer … Two things can be true at the same time. You need public safety. You also need to have compassion for people — but we need to have that balance.”

— John Moran, State Representative (Boston Herald)

“If they had given up on me after the first, second or third time, I'd still be on that bike path, in jail or worse.”

— Oliver D'Agostino, Former addict (Boston Herald)

What’s next

The city has not yet committed to implementing the working group's recommendations, but Mayor Wu said Boston is continuing to engage with stakeholders on a 'coordinated approach' to the Mass and Cass crisis.

The takeaway

This new plan represents a shift towards a more comprehensive, compassionate, and 'choice-based' approach to the Mass and Cass crisis, moving away from the previous 'fragmented' response of just detox or jail. If implemented, it could provide more pathways for addicts to get off the streets and into long-term recovery programs.