Homeless encampment under BU Bridge returns

A homeless encampment is currently occupying the base of the Boston University Bridge on the Cambridge side. 

The space has been used by unhoused members of the community on and off for years, and tents and garbage on the outskirts of the encampment are visible from Memorial Drive. 

A previous encampment in the same location under the BU Bridge burned down last October, and another was removed by Massachusetts State Police during a snowstorm in 2021.

Andrea Kalsow, director of development and communications for On The Rise, a Cambridge-based advocacy group and daytime shelter for the homeless, said encampments are a “natural consequence” for when people don’t have access to safe shelter options. 

“Encampments do form a sense of community,” Kalsow said. “Sometimes you can find a certain sense of safety when you’re in groups with people.”

Jeremy Warnick, director of media relations and content strategy for the City of Cambridge, said the space’s occupancy “can evolve” over time.

“We’ve had cases of people from not even Massachusetts but outside the region as a whole … who have made their way up to this Greater Cambridge, Boston area in need of support and homelessness services,” Warnick said. 

There have been reports of crime at the encampment, including an assault and battery that occurred on Oct. 8. Massachusetts State Police arrived on the scene and took one person into custody.

On Aug. 1, a stabbing was reported on the Boston side of the bridge, and BU Police Department responded at the scene. 

BU Spokesperson Colin Riley said BUPD only assists in crimes related to the off-campus location when requested, because the area under the bridge is state property. 

Joshua Wolf Coleman, a Cambridge resident and BU professor, said the camp does not affect his life. He said the park area where the camp is located “isn’t actually a park that anyone uses” to his knowledge.

“As long as they’re safe and being safe with each other, then good for them,” Coleman said.