Chelsea is home to some 40,000 people, according to the most recent U.S. Census data. It’s not one of the largest cities in the state, but one of the most densely populated.
More than 60% of residents are Latino, and almost half are immigrants.
“The people of Chelsea are about to die in numbers never seen before,” says Maria Belen Powers, who heads the community nonprofit Green Roots in Chelsea. “I’m crying right now, because I truly believe this is the perfect storm. These are people who don’t speak English, the majority work in services, in restaurants, in airports.”
Source: WBUR