The Worcester Housing Authority has 30 units of transitional housing for families. 20 of those units are under the Department of Transitional Assistance, and 10 apartment units are HUD funded. They are coordinated by Stephanie McLloyd in the Tacoma St. office. The units are filled predominantly by single female headed families. Most of these families are homeless on a temporary basis, and many were introduced to homelessness by domestic abuse. The goal of the program is “to support families who are ready to make a commitment to reaching their educational and employment goals, as well as reaching economic independence”.

The program provides on-site GED programs established through a grant with the Worcester Public schools. For children grades 1-6 there is an after school tutorial program for homework help. Other individualized support services are available due to the housing being located in the Great Brook Valley area.

In order to enter the housing programs, clients must pass CORI checks and be clean from drug use for one year. If an individual is homeless due to the condemning of a house or living in an overcrowded home, they must provide documentation and references. The maximum stay in transitional housing is 2 years, and after this time period, families are given the option of leasing their unit, so they never have to move. The goals of the program are to help people save money so that they can get back on their feet financially, and design a service plan for after completing the program, on how to maintain their household.

 The programs include clients who need some aid while going to school. Stephanie discusses one woman who had two kids and no money after divorcing her husband. She entered the program, stayed in school, and is now a successful nurse. Stephanie says that her clients “are different, they are goal-oriented. They know what they want and are in school. They can see the light through the struggle”.

Stephanie says that the most common barriers for her clients getting out of homelessness are the lack of affordable housing, healthcare, and childcare, and most recently the cost of utilities. She argues that there needs to be affordable day care for working mothers, and medical and dental care needs to be more affordable and accessible for children. Programs such as mobile care units are great, but there needs to be more of them, and they need dental care.

 An upcoming development in the program is a HUD proposal for 10 more units of housing. These units would address the issue of teenage pregnancy, in collaboration with the YWCA. They would provide programs and skills to teach moms instead of the welfare system that can end up holding them back.