Worcester Housing Authority

This housing agency serves Worcester, Massachusetts.

Waiting List
Open Until Further Notice: Worcester Housing Authority Public Housing Waiting List	Learn More

Open Until Further Notice: Worcester Housing Authority Public Housing Waiting List

The Worcester Housing Authority (WHA) waiting list for Public Housing apartments is currently open. Applications are being accepted since at least June, 2015, until further notice.

There are two ways to apply:

Complete the online application.
Complete an application at the WHA Admission Department, located at 40 Belmont St, Worcester, MA 01605.

This waiting list has the following preferences:

Worcester Resident
- Lives or works within City
Veterans
- Veteran with service connected disability
- Family of deceased veteran whose death is service connected
Displacement by Disaster
- Fire
- Flood
- Other Natural Disaster
Displacement by Action of Housing Owner
- Owner sells property
- Owner has extended family moving in
- Owner renovation unit
- Property foreclosed required to move
Displaced due to Domestic Violence
- Victim of abuse which occurred recently or is of a continuing nature
Displaced by Hate Crimes
- Prejudice and harassment of family member
Displacement to avoid Reprisals
- Law enforcement agency requests alternativehousing to avoid risk of violence against family
Displacement due to Inaccessibility of Unit
- Mobility or other impairment that prohibitsaccess to current apartment
Substandard Housing
- Landlord's failure to provide safe and adequate shelter and endangered the health, safety and/or well being of the family
Rent Burden
- Paying more than 50% of household income towards rent and utilities for a period of at least 90 days
Homeless
- Lacks fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residency
- Primary nighttime residence that is a supervised public or private operated shelter designated to provide temporary living accommodations
- A public or private place not designated or normally used as a regular sleeping place for humans

Selected applicants will be placed on the waiting list by date and time the application is received, weighed by order of preferences.

For more information, visit the WHA website.

About The Agency

Worcester Housing Authority provides affordable housing for up to 6,187 low- and moderate-income households through its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and public housing programs.

40 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA

Visit Website — (508) 635-3000

Section 8 Application Checklist

file_download Download

Keep track of everything you need to apply for a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher in this printable checklist created by Affordable Housing Online

How large is the Worcester Housing Authority?

Worcester Housing Authority serves 5,831 low-income households. The agency manages 3,700 Housing Choice Vouchers and 2,390 public housing units.

What are the incomes of residents served by the Worcester Housing Authority?

Extremely low-income (ELI) renters, earning less than 30% of Area Median Income (AMI), make up 80 percent of households served by Worcester Housing Authority. Very low-income renters earn less than 50% AMI, and are 96 percent of Worcester Housing Authority households.

How many Worcester Housing Authority residents are employed?

Working adults head 1,457 households and make up 25 percent of households served by Worcester Housing Authority.

How many female-headed renter households are served by the Worcester Housing Authority?

There are 4140 female-headed renter households living in Worcester Housing Authority housing. Households headed by females are 71% of those served by the Worcester Housing Authority.

What racial and ethnic groups are found among Worcester Housing Authority renters?

Black	583
Asian-Pacific Islander	117
White	1,808
Hispanic	3,324

How many senior-headed renter households are served by Worcester Housing Authority?

There are 2157 households headed by seniors served by the Worcester Housing Authority. Senior households are 37% of households in Worcester Housing Authority housing.

How many households headed by persons with disabilities live in Worcester Housing Authority housing?

There are 2040 persons with disabilities living in Worcester Housing Authority housing. Persons with disabilities are the head of 35% of households served by the Worcester Housing Authority.

How does HUD rate the performance of the Worcester Housing Authority?

The Worcester Housing Authority is rated as a high performer by HUD.

HUD rates the performance of Public Housing Agencies. The department looks at physical condition of properties, financial condition, management operations, and use of Public Housing Capital Funds for improvements.