The problem has vexed Boston leaders, public health officials and police for years: How best to address the interwoven issues of homelessness and public drug use that collide near the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard.
Two years after the city cleared a nearby tent encampment where officials said drug use, drug dealing and sex trafficking ran rampant, the troubled area known as Mass and Cass remains a hotbed of drug activity and a congregation point for people who are homeless.
South End residents say many of the former occupants of Mass and Cass have since dispersed into the surrounding areas. In recent months, they say visible substance use, drug dealing and discarded needles have increased in their neighborhoods…