WORCESTER—A top regional official from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development spent several hours in Worcester last week getting a close look at how the city’s housing authority is rebuilding aging developments while tying public housing more tightly to education, employment and self-sufficiency.
Michael Banks, HUD’s New England regional administrator, visited the Worcester Housing Authority for meetings with agency leadership and a tour of active redevelopment work at Lakeside Apartments, the authority’s oldest property. The visit focused on WHA’s development pipeline and resident programming, including initiatives that have drawn attention beyond Massachusetts.
WHA Chief Executive Officer Alex Corrales led a presentation outlining both the scope of the authority’s work and the pressures it faces as one of the largest public housing providers in the region. The agency is the second-largest housing authority in New England and has increasingly positioned itself as a developer, not just an operator, of affordable housing.
“It was a pleasure meeting Regional Administrator Banks and his team,” Corrales said in an announcement from the housing authority. “We truly value any opportunity to share our story and highlight the incredible work happening at WHA.”
A major point of discussion during the visit was WHA’s role in piloting HUD’s new rent augmentation program, which the authority is using to help finance the redevelopment of Curtis Apartments. According to the announcement, the program is being used by WHA for the first time nationally, offering a new mechanism to support large-scale public housing reinvestment.
Banks and his team also reviewed WHA’s A Better Life program, a decade-old initiative that ties public housing residency to participation in employment, education, or community service. Launched in 2015, the program is mandatory for able-bodied residents in Massachusetts state public housing at WHA and is built around five focus areas: financial literacy, health, education, job readiness, and personal and family development.
At Lakeside Apartments, HUD officials observed demolition work underway for the first two phases of a multi-year redevelopment effort. The project is being carried out with development partners Tremont Development Partners and E3 Development and is intended to replace outdated housing with modern units designed for long-term stability.
“Under Secretary Scott Turner’s leadership, HUD is expanding pathways to self-sufficiency for Americans residing in public housing,” Banks said in the announcement. “We are proud of the work the Worcester Housing Authority is doing to provide their residents with opportunities for growth and dignity.”
Corrales said the visit helped reinforce the importance of federal-local collaboration as WHA continues to plan future redevelopment and expand resident services.
“This visit provided an important opportunity to underscore the need for continued support and investment,” Corrales said in the announcement, adding that WHA relies on HUD’s partnership as it works to meet Worcester’s affordable housing needs.
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