I agree that something must be done sooner rather than later over the malignant presence of the Mass and Cass homeless encampment (“Time to act on Mass & Cass,” Boston Herald, Aug. 1).  Actions always speak louder than words.

What once was an encampment along Melnea Cass Boulevard and across Mass. Ave. on the highway ramp headed north and south has now metastized  over to Southampton Street, Atkinson Street, up to Clifford Park and seemingly on hold at Edward  Everett Square by the giant pear at Columbia Road. Apparently, the city takes some action but then disappears and only returns when the numbers of homelessness swell up again as they always do.

You can’t seek a solution until you understand why the homeless keep returning to the same place over and over again.

Is the homeless crisis really about not having enough places for folks to live? Or are there a multitude of factors like substance abuse and mental illness that have created so many folks choosing to live on the streets rather than seek or accept housing?

When I first heard of the  proposed creation of a floating hospital-like solution I opposed it. However, at this point in time, it might be the only thing to do. There is no rebuilding of a Long Island facility any time soon. Not only would a new bridge need to be built but then the whole infrastructure out on the island would need rebuilding.

The choice is clear. Do nothing and nothing changes at Mass & Cass. Maybe, a floating treatment center/housing proposal might just work at least for now until the powers-that-be can come up with any other kind of plan.

I am an optimist, I believe that if Boston’s business community and Boston’s political class actually sat down together, we might see new ways of tackling this homeless street people crisis. We have a collection of problems to be solved.

Stop the sound bites and photo opps. The time is now to broach the idea of going back to the future with floating hospitals. This could be the solution or  at least bring us closer to the solution.

As the Boston Herald editorialized, “…the status quo along Mass & Cass does not need to be the norm.” It should not be the norm.

Sal Giarratani

East Boston

What does it matter (‘Sound the Alarm,’ Aug. 03). This (Mass and Cass) has been going on way too long and if we “sound the alarm” we are only going to hear political posturing. The local politicians are never going to really address this issue, just politicize it.

Now I am not a big fan of Michelle Wu but what is Maura Healey’s responsibility with this issue? As far as I can remember she is the Governor of Massachusetts which includes Boston, unless that has changed.

Also, don’t we have two senators that oversee Massachusetts? Sorry, it is not involving climate change so they want nothing to do with it.

This is one of the easiest problems to solve and as you can see the politicians have no plan to solve it, just keep using it to get more federal money.

Michael Westen

Malden