A recent survey found “that 50 percent of residents in the city of Worcester are “cost burdened with rent” (Worcester Regional Research Bureau), meaning that more than 30 percent of their income is going towards rent.
The cost of rent is dramatically rising in the city of Worcester, and one of the neighborhoods most affected by these astronomical increases is the neighborhood of Green Island. Developers from Boston have been traveling west in large numbers to take part in building a “New Worcester”, but in the process, long-time residents of Green Island are being displaced from homes they have rented for decades.
These housing crises have been created because of a few different issues happening in Worcester. The first thing driving up rent prices is that Worcester’s population is rapidly growing, and the housing market has not kept up with this increase. Worcester’s housing crisis is worse than Boston’s, having 10% less affordable housing than Boston. Affordable housing is “defined as housing on which the occupant is paying no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities” (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development).
If you drive through Kelley square, you will see many new buildings being built. This is something Worcester desperately needs, since Worcester does not have enough housing to accommodate its increased populations. However, most of these new shiny buildings are going to be expensive, and market rate. A market rate apartment is one that is competitive with market prices, such as the Kelley Square Lofts located over Worcester Public Market. A 2-bedroom/1-bathroom loft in Spring 2023 cost “$2,495/month,” or $29,940/year, in rent (Kelley Square Apartments). Note that at that time, 89% of Green Islanders were renters, and 33.9% lived in poverty (Shaner), which, in Massachusetts, means they earned less than $30,000 a year (Mass Legal Services). The high prices of Worcester’s new apartments affect everyone by driving up rents, but it affects those of low income the hardest. Many current residents of Green Island cannot afford these higher rents and as a result are being forced out of their homes.
Additionally, many believe that Polar Park has benefited Worcester, but the city has had to raise property taxes in the Green Island neighborhood to cover the costs of building the Park. Property taxes are also on the rise due to the value of homes in Green Island going up. These higher property taxes cause landlords to raise rent even more. The property tax records of 175 Washington St, which is a 3-bedroom/1-bath home located in Green Island, shows this increase. Its property taxes were “$2,703 in 2012, and $3,482 in 2021, which is a 33 percent increase” (Zillow). Property taxes continue to rise rapidly.
In recent years, some small steps have been taken to address Worcester’s housing crisis. The city recently passed an “inclusionary zoning ordinance— which requires a percentage of affordable housing for people at 80% of the city’s median income” (Scott Hayman). Although this act is minimal, it represents a movement in the right direction. Still more must be done to keep Green Island affordable and the beloved home it is to so many today.
Works Cited
“Federal Poverty Guidelines – 2023.” MassLegalServices, www.masslegalservices.org/content/federal-poverty-guidelines-2023. Accessed 13 May 2023.
“Availability.” Kelley Square LOFTS, www.kelleysquarelofts.com/availability. Accessed 13 May 2023.
Zillow, Inc. “175 Washington St, Worcester, MA 01610.” Zillow, www.zillow.com/homedetails/175-Washington-St-Worcester-MA-01610/71148162_zpid/. Accessed 13 May 2023.
Shaner, Bill. “Feature: Time to Talk about Gentrification in Worcester.” Worcester Magazine, 11 Oct. 2018, www.worcestermag.com/story/news/2018/10/11/feature-time-to-talk-about-gentrification-in-worcester/9577761007/.
“HUD Archives: Glossary of Terms to Affordable Housing.” HUD, archives.hud.gov/local/nv/goodstories/2006-04-06glos.cfm. Accessed 13 May 2023.
“Green Island Neighborhood in Worcester, Massachusetts (MA), 01604, 01608, 01610 Detailed Profile.” Green Island Neighborhood in Worcester, Massachusetts (MA), 01604, 01608, 01610 Subdivision Profile – Real Estate, Apartments, Condos, Homes, Community, Population, Jobs, Income, Streets, www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Green-Island-Worcester-MA.html. Accessed 13 May 2023.
“Scott Hayman, lecture, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass.,12 April 2023.