Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | December 12, 2022 | Worcester Business Journal 7 REDLINING: An Economic Legacy 0 20% 40% 60% 80% Less than $20,000 $20,000 to $34,999 $35,000 to $49,999 $50,000 to $74,999 $75,000 or More 2010 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15 '16 '17 '18 '19 '20 Percentage of Cost-Burdened Renter-Occupied Units by Income Range Rising rent burdens in Worcester In Worcester, the income group with the highest-percentage of cost-burdened renters is those making between $20,000-$34,999; but the group who had the greatest rise in percent of cost-burdened renters is those making $35,000-$49,999. Source: American Community Survey, 2010-2020 5-Year Estimates Around the major cities in Central Massachusetts, Worcester has the high- est percentage of cost-burdened renters, as Fitchburg (-9.17%), Framingham (-12.58%), and Leominster (-24.36%) all saw a significant drop in the percent of cost-burdened renters between 2010 and 2020, and Fitchburg is the only other city with more than half of its renters spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs. Marlborough (12.5%) was the only city other than Worcester examined by WRRB with an increase in cost-bur- dened renters, but less than half of the MetroWest community's renters are hampered by housing costs. While he doesn't have specific data showing the high cost of living is affecting Worcester's workforce, Jeffrey Turgeon, the executive director of the MassHire Central Region Workforce Board, cautions about what he saw while vacationing in Maine. In Maine, the retail, food service, and hospitality businesses were having a difficult time finding workers because they can't afford to live near their jobs or there just aren't enough affordable units, Turgeon said. "ese are jobs that pay barely enough to live," said Turgeon, "ey're not the kind of job you're going to travel for." Looking further out, WRRB found of cities in the Northeast with populations within 20,000 of Worcester and more than 55% of units renter-occupied, the cost is rising fastest in Worcester. Between Lowell, New Bedford, Quincy, Springfield, Providence, and Rochester, New York, the only other city where the number of cost-burdened renters rose was in Lowell, with a 0.13% increase, compared to Worcester's 5.87% jump. Springfield and Rochester were the only other cities where more than half of renters are cost-burdened. The heaviest burden e cost of living makes it harder to recruit people to work at Quin- sigamond Community College in Worcester, said Michelle Tufau, QCC's associate vice president for student success. e school recruited two new staff members from out of state, and they were very surprised at the cost of living in the area. e high cost of living impacts the college in a number of ways, Tufau said. Students are reducing the number of credits they are taking per semes- ter, she said. e average is down to nine credits versus 12 in the past, as students were once able to work a part-time job to make ends meet while they were in school. More students are living in their cars or couch surfing, unable to find ade- quate affordable housing, she said. e number of food assistance applications from students has increased. "You really see it in the use of student services. We've seen a 61% increase in student usage of our food pantry," said Tufau, though she said the actual use is greater because QCC provides food to other members of the community as well. Leah Bradley, CEO of the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance, says the rising rents in the city are pushing the most vulnerable residents into homelessness, overwhelming shelters, and creating a costly social crisis. The Main South neighborhood is 78% renter-occupied, has a poverty rate of 26%, a 90% non- white population, and the fifth-lowest median household income in the city at $39,191. PHOTO | CHRISTINE PETERSON PHOTO | EDD COTE

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