The Need and Our Impact

Homelessness

When we opened our doors in 1976, we believed homelessness could be solved, that with enough care and support, every woman in Worcester would have a safe place to call home.

Nearly 50 years later, the need remains urgent, even as the state’s own numbers show a system straining to keep up.

19,914

people were experiencing homelessness across Massachusetts as of the last quarter of 2025

Spanning 13,755 households. 86% were in shelter, 14% were unsheltered.

47%

of single adults over 24 experiencing homelessness were chronically homeless

Compared to just 4% of people in households with children, a gap driven largely by the state’s right-to-shelter law for families.

Statewide, people experiencing homelessness peaked at about 57,000 in 2024 and fell to about 50,000 in 2025, the first annual decline in several years. The turnaround came from the rehousing side of the ledger: in 2025, about 22,000 people exited homelessness into permanent housing, compared to about 14,000 who entered homelessness for the first time. It’s the first year since at least 2019 that exits have outpaced new entries statewide.

That statewide progress hasn’t reached every community equally.

3,110

people were counted as homeless in Worcester County in January 2025

A 20% increase over the prior year, and the highest total on record for the county. More than 2,300 of those people have children.

Worcester also had the region’s largest number of unsheltered individuals, and the average length of a homeless episode locally rose to about seven months in 2024, up from under six months the year before. Local advocates point to the region’s affordable housing shortage, a rental vacancy rate below 5%, and median rents around $2,200 as the direct causes, alongside a shortage of shelter beds and support services to match the need.

Behind every number is a woman making impossible choices, between safety and stability, between tonight and tomorrow.

Statewide figures: Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, Rehousing Data Collective Public Dashboard, Q4 2025 data (updated through March 31, 2026). Worcester County figures: Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance, 2025 Point-in-Time Count. Annual statewide figures for 2024 and 2025 are approximate, read from the dashboard’s trend chart. A partial 2026 total (13,939 people, January through March) is not yet comparable to full-year figures.

Housing

For many women and families, homelessness doesn’t begin with a crisis, it begins with rent.

Across the country, there simply isn’t enough housing that people with the lowest incomes can afford.

$34.73/hour

wage a full-time worker needs nationally to afford a modest two-bedroom rental home

The average renter earns just $24.84 an hour, nearly $10 short.

In Massachusetts, the gap is even more extreme.

$45.90/hour

wage a full-time worker needs in Massachusetts to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment

The average Massachusetts renter earns $28.66 an hour, leaving a gap of nearly $20. A minimum wage earner making $15 an hour would need to work 122 hours a week, more than three full-time jobs. This places Massachusetts as the 4th most expensive state in the country for renters.

Closer to home, in the Worcester area:

$1,854/month

fair market rent for a modest two-bedroom apartment in Worcester

Requires an hourly wage of about $28. The typical Worcester renter earns close to $18 an hour, meaning many must work roughly 62 hours a week to afford housing without being cost burdened.

For those with the lowest incomes, the math is even starker in the Worcester area. Affordable monthly rent is approximately:

When rent rises faster than wages, housing becomes unstable, and when housing becomes unstable, homelessness follows.

Statewide figures: Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, Rehousing Data Collective Public Dashboard, Q4 2025 data (updated through March 31, 2026). Worcester County figures: Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance, 2025 Point-in-Time Count. Annual statewide figures for 2024 and 2025 are approximate, read from the dashboard’s trend chart. A partial 2026 total (13,939 people, January through March) is not yet comparable to full-year figures.

Cost of Living

Rent isn’t the only number that’s climbed out of reach. Everyday essentials add up fast, and for a woman rebuilding her life, that math can be the difference between staying housed and losing everything.

$3.93/gallon

average price of regular gas in the Worcester area

Up sharply from a year ago, and one of the largest year-over-year increases of any state in the country.

$1,013/month

cost to feed a family of two adults and two children on the USDA’s thrifty food plan in Massachusetts

The USDA’s lowest-cost estimate, meant to represent a bare-bones grocery budget, not extras.

$20,913/year

average cost of infant center-based child care in Massachusetts

The second most expensive state in the country for child care, behind only Washington, D.C. In the Boston area, infant care commonly runs $2,200 to $2,800 a month.

$374/month

average combined utility bill in Massachusetts (electric, water, sewer, and trash)

Massachusetts electric rates alone run nearly double the national average.

24%

of Americans have no emergency savings at all

Only 47% could cover a surprise $1,000 expense from savings today. For a woman without a financial cushion, one car repair or medical bill can be the event that leads to homelessness.

Add these costs on top of rent, and it becomes clear why so many women in Worcester are one setback away from losing their home. Safe shelter isn’t just a roof, it’s the stability that lets a woman catch her breath and start rebuilding.

Cost of living statistics: AAA (gas prices, Worcester metro area, current as of early July 2026), U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (thrifty food plan, Massachusetts, May 2026), World Population Review compiling Child Care Aware of America and Economic Policy Institute data (child care, 2026), Utility Rates composite estimate (Massachusetts utilities, 2026), and Bankrate’s 2026 Annual Emergency Savings Report.

Since we began in 1976, we’ve helped more than 16,145 women and their children reclaim and rebuild their lives.

*All stats below from 2025

Programs

• 28 women and 22 children housed in Shelter
• 624 nights in Shelter
• 4,239 meals provided
• 95 women and children housed outside of Shelter

Advocacy

• 1,510 individual advocacy sessions
• $2800 in vouchers to the Thrift Shop were given to women from the community in need of clothing

The Annette Rafferty Survive to Thrive Fund (ARST)

In 2025, over $15,000 was distributed through ARST to help women break the cycle of poverty. These funds provide critical support for education and vocational training, transportation like bus passes, and essential medical and dental care helping women move toward long-term financial stability.

ARST supports women as they navigate unexpected or increased expenses they cannot cover on their own, such as…

• Rental Assistance
• Transportation Costs
• Uncovered Medical & Dental Care (critical procedures not covered by insurance, or care needed during gaps in coverage that would otherwise go untreated)
• Essential Documentation Costs (such as ID replacements and birth certificate copies required for housing, employment, and access to services)
• Job Trainings
• College Courses

Because when these barriers are removed, women are able to focus on what matters most: building stability, independence, and a future of their own.

Looking ahead, ARST will continue to evolve to meet the needs of the women we serve. Beginning in 2026, funds will also support stipends for residents who complete Abby’s House’s training program, recognizing their hard work and helping them take the next step toward financial independence.