19-03-2025
'A backlog of clients': Health official outlines homeless shelter needs for councilors
WORCESTER — Concern about rising homelessness was shared at the City Council meeting on Tuesday following a report that highlighted a continued need for shelters and housing in the city.
Dr. Matilde Castiel, the city commissioner of Health and Human Services, referenced the findings of the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance in saying the rate of homelessness has increased across all ages in the past five years, especially among those above the age of 65.
Speaking to councilors on Tuesday, she attributed the findings to lack of affordable housing, limited funding and high eviction rates, among other reasons.
'We have a backlog of clients that are in the shelters,' Castiel said. 'We don't have enough shelter beds for the (homeless) population that we have, and we don't have the housing availability.
'Some people may have an apartment and they're paying X amount of dollars and within two months they're going to be evicted because the landlord wants to increase the rent and that creates more homelessness.'
Castiel stated that 1,535 people had accessed shelters in the past year, with 90 being of the ages 65 and older, a considerable increase from 2020 and 2021, when it was 42 for each year.
With most of the homeless population falling between the ages of 35 and 44, the report stated that the increase is 'significantly higher compared to earlier years like 2020 and 2021.'
The report also argued that the homeless population in the city faced racial disparities, noting that the percentages of Black and Hispanic or Latino individuals were higher among the homeless in proportion to the city's demographics.
Hispanic and Latino individuals comprised 29% of the homeless population, a number higher than the 24.6% of the rate of that group across the city; Black individuals comprised 17% of the unsheltered population, compared to 13.7% citywide.
Among the homeless, 51% were white, a number higher than the 48.9% demographic across the city.
In the report, Castiel says that several 'systemic barriers' have exacerbated the homeless rates, stating that shelters are often faced with capacity challenges. As of February, 180 adult shelter beds were available in Worcester year-round; with 260 winter beds.
Some shelter residents lack proper documentation, which often prevents them from receiving medical care. Others who struggle with drug addiction suffer relapses when given low levels of methadone doses which are often imposed by the shelters or suffer low-level care due to limited medical staff.
Pointing to the high rate of the evictions as another cause for the rising cases of homelessness, Castiel's report underlined that the number of nonpayment evictions in Worcester jumped dramatically from 263 to 471 cases between 2022 and 2023.
Castiel also attributed the rates to legislative restrictions included the statewide reduction of the length of traditional shelter stays for families from nine months to six and tighter background checks on all household members 18 years and older.
Councilors lamented the findings.
District 4 Councilor Luis Ojeda had requested the report in a previous meeting. Alongside Vice Chair Khrystian E. King, he recently spearheaded efforts the creation of a women's shelter in the city.
'We need to continue trying to get ahead of this curve where it seems like we're doing all we can," Ojeda said. 'I want to make sure we try to be as efficient as possible.'
Castiel's report also put on the spotlight the winter shelter that social service agency South Middlesex Opportunity Council shelter opened in December at the former Registry of Motor Vehicles at 611 Main St.
Castiel said that with 60 beds, the shelter gave access to a roof to 159 people throughout the season.
The shelter opened Dec. 2 with $1.4 million in state funds, offering showers, meals and case management. It will run until the end of April.
Haxhiaj, who called the report's findings 'sad,' showed concern about the outlook of the homeless upon the closing of the shelter for the season.
Haxhiaj also urged the council to declare the rates of homelessness and lack of housing in the city a public health emergency.
'It's important for the public to understand that when we see unhoused folks out in the street, we tend to blame them for their life circumstances,' Haxhiaj said. 'This is a symptom of decades of policies that have neglected affordable housing and folks who are unhoused.'
King made a motion for the council to look into a way to expanding the staff of the Department of Health and Human Services after Castiel said that the department only employs three people and has an open position that address issues dealing with the homeless.
King also put forth a motion to 'consider identifying funding via an earmark for additional services for this population.'
'We are in the midst of a public health crisis related to public housing, lack of housing,' King said, echoing Haxhiaj. 'Clearly, we need to do more.'
Mayor Joseph M. Petty agreed with the previous speakers, adding that the city 'is in an emergency status.'
'The only way to get out of it is more housing and more services,' Petty said.
Petty also referenced projects across the city that have targeted the issues with homelessness, such as the construction of tiny houses that have been in the works along Stafford Street for the homeless population.
'We are going in the right direction but hopefully we can move some of these projects faster,' Petty said.
Before the meeting was adjourned, Haxhiaj attempted to bring into the agenda a tabled item from 2023, which she and Councilor-at-Large Thu Nguyen had brought forward to ask the city manager to establish an office that would aim to prevent involuntary evictions, among other things.
That motion to take the item off the table was denied, as the yes votes of Haxhiaj, King, Ojeda and District 1 Councilor Jennifer Pacillo fell short. The no votes came from Petty, Councilors-at-Large Morris A. Bergman, Donna M. Colorio and Kathleen M. Toomey, District 2 Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson and District 3 Councilor George J. Russell.
Nguyen was not present at Tuesday's meeting.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: 'A backlog of clients': Health official outlines homeless shelter needs for councilors
