By Aaron Parseghian, WBZ-TV

After Somerville voters elected new leadership Tuesday, Councilor and Mayor-elect Jake Wilson will enter office in January. Wilson says, among his top issues to tackle, is something business owners and residents in one of the city's most prominent squares have been sounding the alarm about.

At Mr. Crêpe in Davis Square, lunchtime crowds are a welcome sign for manager Luis Ballesteros, but he says it's the crowds outside his café that have become harder to manage.

"After the pandemic, everything started getting worse. Each year, there are more people outside living in the street," Ballesteros said.

Homelessness crisis in Somerville

He and other business owners in Davis Square say the homelessness crisis and even open drug use have grown out of control in recent years. "They are a little aggressive with customers," Ballesteros said. "Or if they get to the store and we ask them to leave, they get aggressive too."

Mr. Crêpe even closed its patio space to avoid confrontations. "We used to have like 10 tables, 40 seats. We don't have anymore," Ballesteros explained.

Somerville Homeless Coalition says they've seen sustained population increase post-pandemic, a result of multiple factors ranging from the lack of affordable housing to growing mental health issues, to more people going to Somerville after being pushed out of encampments elsewhere near Boston.

Across the square, business owners like Chris Vining, who founded The Goods cannabis dispensary, say the broader atmosphere in Davis Square has shifted.

"We really need to reset the standards across the spectrum, and that doesn't have anything to do specifically with drug use or unhoused individuals," said Vining, who WBZ talked to after he cast his ballot Tuesday.

"We need to be a place where people feel comfortable to go on a walk or else we see empty storefronts and a lack of growth," he said.

It's an issue Somerville's new mayor-elect Jake Wilson says he's ready to take on. "I'm not afraid to roll up my sleeves and do the work," Wilson said Wednesday.

"The vibes are off there"

Wilson says addressing homelessness will be a top priority when he takes office. He plans to push to build permanent supportive housing with wraparound service, work to resolve the city's legal battle over moving its shelter to a larger space with beds, and coordinate with neighboring communities for a more unified response.

"We talk about the narrative in Davis Square, I say the vibes are off there," Wilson said. "We need to make sure that we're making real change there."

Asked what he envisions for Davis Square in the coming years, Wilson said, "Thriving. A place that everyone feels welcome."

That's a goal Ballesteros hopes will soon be reality. "We hope they do, you know?" he said. Adding he's appreciated the ramped up police details around his store in recent weeks.