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Worcester health commissioner flags rising homelessness and senior housing shortfall
Summary
Commissioner of Health and Human Services Maddie Castillo told the Board of Health that homelessness — including among seniors — is increasing locally; she urged more housing, case‑management services and noted a tiny‑homes effort and an in‑progress developer proposal for the old nurses’ dorm at the Worcester Senior Center.
Maddie Castillo, Worcester’s commissioner of health and human services, told the Board of Health that homelessness in the city continues to rise, with shelters overcrowded and seniors representing a growing share of people seeking assistance.
“We know that the numbers continue to increase. Senior numbers are almost the highest numbers that we’re seeing,” Castillo said, noting that shelters are overcrowded and supportive‑housing resources remain inadequate. She urged more funding for permanent supportive housing and case management, saying weekly visits by outreach teams are often insufficient for residents with substance‑use or mental‑health needs.
Castillo said the city previously estimated a need for more than 100 housing units in 2017 and that funding constraints have made it difficult to meet demand. She also described an initiative to develop tiny homes as a potential public‑health approach to provide shelter while more permanent solutions are developed.
Board member Gary Rosen and others raised the long‑running idea of using the former nurses’ dormitory at the Worcester Senior Center for affordable housing. Rosen and Castillo said a developer has been identified and the proposal is under evaluation, but no construction timeline was provided. “They won the bid. They’re looking at doing affordable housing at that whole nurses section of the senior center,” Castillo said; she added that securing funding and the multi‑year nature of such projects mean any development will take time.
Board members discussed senior cost‑of‑living pressures and the broader challenges of housing affordability in the city. No formal vote was taken; members asked staff to continue monitoring homelessness data and to include shelter and supportive‑housing program reports in future Board of Health briefings.
