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Manager unveils housing push: zoning rewrite, 1,800+ units in construction and day resource center coming online
Summary
Eric Bautista described a multi-pronged housing strategy including a unanimously approved housing production plan (15 of 35 strategies started), more than 1,800 units actively under construction, a zoning rewrite to remove barriers to development, and a new day resource center for people experiencing homelessness.
City Manager Eric Bautista said Worcester is pursuing a comprehensive housing strategy intended to increase supply and support residents facing housing instability.
Bautista said the council approved a housing production plan and the administration has taken action on 15 of 35 strategies identified in that plan. "We have more than 1,800 units, housing units, actively under construction because of outside the box thinking," he said, and announced a zoning rewrite to modernize rules that date back decades.
He framed the zoning work as necessary to remove outdated obstacles such as parking minimums that can hold back housing development and said the rewrite is the first such effort in more than 60 years.
On homelessness, Bautista noted the city convened a housing and homelessness steering committee that drafted a strategic framework to expand shelter capacity and services. He said the city broke ground on a day resource center described as "only the 3rd of its kind in the state," which the manager said will provide showers, charging stations, housing assistance connections and wellness services.
Why it matters: Bautista presented supply-side and service-side actions together: permit processing, zoning reform and targeted projects seek to increase the housing pipeline while the day resource center and expanded shelter access aim to address immediate needs.
What remained unsaid: The manager did not provide granular timelines for the zoning rewrite, a precise completion date for the day resource center, or detailed funding sources for specific housing projects beyond references to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and inclusionary zoning programs.
Next steps: The manager said the steering committee's framework will be presented to the city council and implied further council consideration of permitting and zoning changes.
