Get updates from HorizonMass

FOLLOWING UP WITH A FAMILY FORCED OUT BY FLAMES

The camp that burned in October was subsequently paved with rocks | Photo by Frank Chen

“In about five minutes, everything we had was all ashes, and there was nothing we could do about it.”


Cambridge Unhoused is a series of articles, columns, explainers, and informational graphics by the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism documenting homelessness funding and services in Massachusetts with particular attention paid to Cambridge. Since the topic is complex and ever-changing, we are publishing multiple short focused pieces that highlight specific issues or stakeholders but that also connect with other coverage for this project. Media produced for the Cambridge Unhoused series is distributed through the MassWire news service of BINJ and can be found together at binjonline.org.


“We lost everything.”

Melissa has been homeless for more than 13 years, and the struggle never gets any easier. Two weeks ago, a fire broke out on a Sunday afternoon in an encampment near the BU Bridge and burned everything she had.

She had been living in the camp by the Charles River for several months. “Our tents, cell phones, and clothing are all gone,” she recalled. Melissa said she was woken up by the noise. The fire, she said, was already unstoppable when she exited her tent with her boyfriend.

“I saw the video of people filming on the bridge, seeing huge smoke coming out of the area.” Melissa continued, “The only thing I can remember is flame. I couldn’t see any smoke because the fire was burning hot.”

Goose Park where Melissa and her family live now | Photo by Frank Chen

Immediately prior to setting up near the bridge by Memorial Drive, Melissa lived in a homeless camp in Back Bay. She said at one point during that arrangement, a tent next to hers caught fire, but she managed to extinguish it before it burned down. But in Cambridge, it was too late.

“I’ve always heard people say before that tents burn quickly when they catch fire, but I never thought it would be this fast, and in about five minutes, everything we had was all ashes, and there was nothing we could do about it.”

Firefighters cleared the scene and extinguished the flames. The Red Cross cared for the 10 people living in the area including Melissa; none of them reported injuries. Over the following days, state workers covered the area with rocks up to the riverbank, forcing Melissa and her family to find shelter elsewhere. (BINJ inquired with the Cambridge Fire Department about the cause of the blaze, and is still waiting for a response.)

Melissa calls her group of 12 a family, and said that together they decided to stay in Cambridge. They’re currently set up in Goose Park, on the other side of the bridge, still between Memorial Drive and the water, where there’s more space for their camp.

“I was happy that our old place was gone,” Melissa said. “That place was a disaster. … A lot of us can take care of ourselves, but some of us just get lost. It was full of human excrement and needles. When citizens walk by with their kids and see such a mess, they call the city to intervene.”

With the cold coming, Melissa and her family have to rebound quickly from their fire losses, and local organizations have responded. On the second and third day after the devastating setback, they sent tents and clothes.

“The City of Cambridge treats us better than any other city in the Greater Boston area,” she said. “Those are really nice people—they even come by during weekdays to give us food and water donations.”

An ongoing construction next to Melissa’s current camp | Photo by Frank Chen

Among other longshot opportunities for permanent housing, last year Boston authorized more than $200 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for housing. Some of that will go to subsidize permanent supportive housing for people living on the street and in shelters, but Melissa said such programs aren’t an option for her.

“I know some people benefit from [government assistance], especially during COVID,” she said. “But the ones in danger of becoming homeless are somehow prioritized over the actual homeless people. I dreamed about getting a place to live and a solid job every day, but the people who need it don’t get it. At least not us.”

“The good thing is I’m not alone. Things can get really bad if you are alone, especially for females.”


This article is syndicated by the MassWire news service of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. If you want to see more reporting like this, make a contribution at givetobinj.org

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Thanks for reading and please consider this:

If you appreciate articles like this one, please keep HorizonMass going strong by making a tax-deductible donation to our IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit sponsor, the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism!

BINJ not only produces longform investigative stories that it syndicates for free to community news outlets around Massachusetts but also works with dozens of emerging journalists each year to help them learn their trade while providing quality reporting to the public at large.

Now in its 10th year, BINJ has produced hundreds of hard-hitting news articles—many of which have taken critical looks at corporations, government, and major nonprofits, shedding light where it’s needed most.

BINJ punches far above its weight on an undersized budget—managing to remain a player in local news through difficult times for journalism even as it continues to provide leadership at the regional and national levels of the nonprofit news industry.

With your help BINJ can grow to become a more stable operation for the long term and continue to provide Bay State residents more quality journalism for years to come.

Or you can send us a check at the following address:

Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism

519 Somerville Ave #206

Somerville, MA 02143

Want to make a stock or in-kind donation to BINJ? Drop us an email at info@binjonline.org and we can make that happen!

Tags:

Related posts:

Receive the latest news

Subscribe To The HorizonMass Newsletter