Worcester committee hears rising eviction filings, lack of tenant counsel; councilors press for RAFT data, legal-aid pilot and zoning report

WORCESTER, Mass. — Eviction filings remain a persistent source of housing instability in Worcester, and committee members on Feb. 27 pressed city staff and housing providers for data and pilot programs after seeing court filings and hearing that most tenants in housing court lack lawyers.

Jack Moran, who presented housing-court monitoring data for Central Massachusetts providers, told the committee the most recent six-month view of Worcester filings showed 748 eviction cases and that more than 97% of defendants in those cases appear without legal counsel. Moran said plaintiffs (landlords) are pro se in under 10% of cases, underscoring the imbalance in legal representation.

Why this matters: Tenants without counsel are less likely to obtain outcomes that prevent displacement. Committee members asked for aggregate RAFT program data and ZIP-code maps so the council can target prevention and outreach, and they asked Community Legal Aid affiliates about establishing an Access to Counsel pilot for Worcester.

Key details from the meeting

Eviction filings and representation: Jack Moran displayed a six-month dataset of eviction cases in Worcester housing court and said the defendants in eviction cases “over 97%” do not have legal counsel. Moran also showed January filings (281) and said filings are a steady flow month to month.

RAFT, prevention and landlord reporting: Leah Bradley said RAFT (rental assistance) remains a core prevention tool. Central Mass Housing Alliance currently sees between 100 and 170 RAFT applications per week, with a peak of 215. Bradley and other providers described efforts to use city ARPA funds for households ineligible for RAFT to avoid shelter entry.

‘Notice to quit’ reporting and screening gaps: Bradley urged restoring a state reporting step — she referred to reinstating a “chapter 257 rule” that would require property owners to upload notices to quit to the state so providers could proactively intervene. She and committee members said many tenants avoid formal filings or accept relocation sums from landlords rather than risk an eviction on their record, producing cases the city cannot track easily.

Legal representation and pilot requests

Several councilors asked the committee to pursue an Access to Counsel pilot in Worcester under the recently enacted state legislation. Councillor Haggai asked City staff and providers to request information from Community Legal Aid and Central West Justice Center about available funds and pilot design.

Zoning, housing supply and vacant land

Council members also discussed long-term supply constraints. Providers and staff said Worcester’s median rent (~$2,100) and vacancy rate (below 2%) are market signals that rental housing is scarce, and that zoning reform could increase multifamily supply. Jack Moran cited Cambridge’s citywide overlay that permits higher density when projects commit to permanent affordability, and councilors asked the planning and development office for reports on zoning reform timelines and a vacant-lot inventory for potential permanent-supportive and deeply affordable housing.

Committee actions and follow-ups

The committee voted to hold the eviction-item (3C) and requested: (1) aggregate RAFT racial/ethnic and ZIP-code data for 2024, (2) a map of ZIP-code eviction concentrations, (3) discussion with Community Legal Aid/Central West Justice Center on Access to Counsel pilot possibilities, and (4) a chairman’s order to request a vacant-lot/underused-parcel inventory from Economic Development. City staff agreed to produce reports and return to committee.

Ending note

Council members framed the packets of reporting as immediate tools to target prevention and to inform longer-term zoning and housing production strategies. They said more legal support for tenants and better advance notice of landlord filings are necessary steps to reduce avoidable displacement.