Boston.com: Lecturer Deb Goldfarb Advocates Against Over-Policing Boston’s Homeless Communities
In a recent interview with Boston.com, Prof. Goldfarb weighed in with other homelessness experts on the government’s recent developments to alleviate homelessness in the city. In addition to sharing how over-policing can harm people experiencing homelessness instead of helping them, she explained that forced treatment and incarceration could worsen the dire circumstances faced by homeless people.
Excerpt from “Public Health Experts Say Boston’s Approach to Mass. and Cass Is Working. But Push for More Police Involvement Continues.” by Dialynn Dwyer, originally posted in Boston.com:
What is needed, both Komaromy and Deb Goldfarb, a part-time faculty member at BU School of Social Work and the director of behavioral health in Population Health at the hospital, agreed is more time and more resources that are patient-centered and low-barrier — from housing to jobs programs.
Such measures allow people the opportunity to meet their basic needs with dignity and gain self-efficacy, and confidence, which aids in the stabilization of their substance use disorder or other behavioral health issues.
‘One of the things, too, that has struck me throughout this whole thing is I’ve always thought of individuals living on Mass. and Cass as our neighbors, as residents of this community,’ Goldfarb said. ‘And I think that’s been challenged by some individuals who have owned businesses or houses in this area for a long time. But the individuals living in Roundhouse feel very much like this is their neighborhood and community. And they care about the space, and they care about how they feel safe and safety in their community.’”