IT’S A START

By William Tauro

The current Administration wants to open up a Safe Injection Site within the city. This is only something that will add to the already growing problem nationwide of substance abuse. You cannot combat this overnight. It is a process but instead of condoning it we need to offer better, more long-term solutions to help people on a path to recovery.

The city wants to offer these sites as mobile units. This is not a long-term solution. This is a temporary bandage on only one piece of the problem.
These mobile units are not a permanent solution. It takes more than just offering them a clean needle and spot to get their injection but what comes after that. People in this position need more than that. They need to be given the tools to go beyond that one “high”.

My team is made up of people who have very personal experience with all aspects of substance/alcohol abuse. My team is working on developing “It’s A Start” Substance Abuse Center. This center will be an actual brick and mortar building with both indoor and outdoor space that will bring a more permanent solution on the road to recovery. Unless you have actually gone over and toured or even pulled someone out of Mass and Cass, then you do not have a good look at what you will bring to this city on a daily basis for a short-term solution and then return them to the same streets that have harmed them. My team is looking to open and support a Substance Abuse Center. This center will include a multitude of services to help people to make the first step or even tenth step into becoming a whole person.

Someone of existence not substance. This center will give them the tools to become a cleaner, healthier, more educated person and hopefully, on the road to recovery. Most people have gotten to a level of feeling dehumanized. They have hit what may be their rock bottom and lost all that they have in life from family to friends. We as a community need to help them grow with the knowledge of their self-worth.

The city has already allocated around One million dollars to a safe injection site. Our intentions are to utilize multiple services within the city (i.e. housing, local police/court system, health care, etc) that bring a more healthier recovery effort for these citizens of somerville. We need to take people off the street. With all the housing we have within the city, no one should be sleeping on a street or park bench.

We are putting a plan in place. If you vote for me, William Tauro, we will help with their road to recovery and not just a simple under-thought solution. It will also help to clean up our streets and make our communities better, safer, and more livable.

In conjunction with this plan, we will also be putting together a plan to work with local developers in establishing SO’s (Single Room Occupancy Units). Public input from members of the community will absolutely be welcome and voice their opinions and concerns, and yes you will absolutely be heard and I will listen. This will be helpful with both the fight for homelessness and the lack of affordable housing within the city. This will help in taking people off the street that suffer from mental health issues, substance abuse, alcoholism or just affordability issues. We will be giving people a safe, healthy, home environment.

If elected, together we will do amazing things for the betterment of Somerville and its residents. I will be there for everyone and I promise you that!

Sincerely,
Billy Tauro