Description
Worcester Community Housing Resources is a private, non-profit organization that develops high-quality affordable housing, provides financing to low-income homeowners for home repairs and maintenance, and promotes neighborhood revitalization efforts throughout Worcester County. WCHR provides services that benefit low to moderate-income individuals and families.
Since 1985 WCHR has developed projects that address the housing needs of very diverse populations. It also has managed a five million dollar Community Loan Fund, providing necessary resources for the emergency repairs and maintenance needs of low-income homeowners and for the rehabilitation and responsible management of abandoned property through its Receivership program.
As a leader in the development and management of affordable housing throughout Worcester County, our focus is to preserve current housing stock, restore historic integrity, and modernize all materials and mechanical systems for maximum energy efficiency. To date we have developed 33 ownership homes and 109 rental apartments in the City of Worcester, investing over eleven million dollars and generating annual real estate tax revenues of $115,000 for the City of Worcester.
WCHR collaborates with a wide variety of organizations and individuals to provide high quality homes, often with supportive services, to meet the needs of a wide range of underserved households.
It recently completed a seventy-eight unit, $25.4 million dollar, state of the art assisted-living facility in City of Gardner that created 100 construction jobs and 50 permanent jobs. It is providing elderly residents there with high quality housing, a myriad of health care services, excellent food and a broad range of activities and events that enhance their daily lives.
Working with the MA Attorney General's Office and Worcester Housing Court, WCHR has led the Commonwealth in the use of a formidable tool called Receivership that enables the temporary seizure and management of properties abandoned through foreclosure, in order to return them to safe and productive use. This has helped to stabilize neighborhoods throughout the county.
WCHR’s Community Loan Fund provides low-interest loans to homeowners who lack the resources and credit history to access traditional financing for major emergency repairs such as heating, roofing, sewer leaks and energy conservation. This capital is combined with technical assistance throughout the construction period to ensure that projects are completed efficiently and in a cost effective manner.
The growing need for all of these programs and services is demonstrated by the continually increasing number of clients who contact WCHR for financial and housing assistance. The organization is now broadening its reach throughout Worcester County by forging new statewide partnerships that focus resources, talent and expertise on the problems that individuals and families face in their daily lives.
