By Justin Vartanian, Senior Director of Housing, and Jessica Danger, Director of Leasing & Housing Compliance, Abby’s House
A couple of weeks ago, the two of us spent the day at the 2026 Game Changers Business Conference, hosted by the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. With a theme like ‘Building the Future of Housing,’ we had one question on repeat: where do the women and children we serve fit in?
Abby’s House has 80 units of affordable, supportive housing across three buildings in Worcester. Our days are full of the practical side of that work: repairs, heating bills, lease renewals, waitlists all on top of the everyday needs of the women and families who live with us. Conferences like this are a chance to step back from the day-to-day and ask bigger questions. We picked up three things worth sharing. Here’s how they play out for us.
1. Sustainable building can make financial sense over time
“Green building” is often described as something nice to have when the budget allows. What we heard at the conference was different: energy-efficient systems, better insulation, and durable materials can cost more up front, but they often pay for themselves over the life of a building through lower operating and maintenance costs.
For a non-profit, that’s major. Margins are tight here and every dollar on a repair bill is a dollar that’s not going to services. So when a building costs less to run that means more of every dollar can go to the mission. The challenge is that non-profits are often pushed toward the lowest up-front cost by tight capital budgets and sometimes by how projects are funded that could lock an organization into higher costs for decades.
What it means for us: As Abby’s House plans capital improvements and thinks about future housing, we want to look at the long-term cost of a building, not just the price tag on day one. We also think funders and non-profits can do more together to make the case that investing in efficiency is investing in the sustainability of the mission itself.
2. Transit access can support housing and economic opportunity
Truth is, a home is more than four walls. It’s also what you can reach from your front door: a job, a grocery store, a doctor, your child’s school. Several conversations focused on how housing near reliable transit opens up opportunity, especially for people who do not have a car.
This one hit close to home for both of us because many of the women who live at Abby’s House rely on the bus or rides from friends or walking so location shapes whether a new job across the city is realistic or whether a medical appointment is attended. Not to mention whether a mother can get her kids to school on time. In supportive housing we talk a lot about wraparound services and transit is part of that wrap plain and simple.
What it means for us: When non-profits evaluate sites for new housing, transit access should be weighed right alongside price and size. And for the buildings we already have, it’s a reminder to keep building partnerships and resources that help residents get where they need to go.
3. Lower-cost construction methods are worth exploring
Here’s the hard truth about the housing crisis: it is a math problem. Building new units is expensive and slow and the need keeps growing. The conference highlighted some newer and more efficient construction approaches that can reduce costs and shorten timelines which was a real eye opener.
Another thing… we want to be careful here. Any new method needs to be measured against quality, safety and how it will hold up over 30 or 40 years because the people living in our buildings deserve homes that’ll be around for the next 50 years and even beyond that. But we both left with a real sense of possibility. Non-profit housing providers can’t afford to reject ideas just because they haven’t hears about them before. The women and children on waitlists across Massachusetts are counting on us to find ways to do more with what we have… and that’s real.
What it means for us: Curiosity is part of good stewardship and we want Abby’s House to keep learning and talking with developers and peer organizations who are testing new methods so they can be ready when the right opportunity comes along.
Why this matters for the non-profit space
What strikes us about these three ideas is how they all fit together. Build smarter so homes cost less to run – that makes sense. Make sure we’re building in the right places so residents can get to where they need to go. And build in ways that let us create more homes, faster. Though none of these is a silver bullet, they do help describe housing that is affordable and built to last.
We also believe non-profits bring something important to these conversations. We know the people who will live in these palces and we see firsthand how a long commute or a three-year wait affects families. While developers, businesses, and public leaders are thinking about the future of housing, and organizations like ours need to be at that table too sharing what we see every day.
Looking ahead
This year Abby’s House celebrates 50 years. Our founder, Annette Rafferty, started this work because she refused to accept that women and children in Worcester had nowhere to go and that nobody was going to do anything about it. As we look toward the next 50, we want to carry that same spirit into how we think about housing.
Thank you to the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce for creating space for this conversation. We are already looking forward to continuing it.
Want to help build the future of housing for women and children in Worcester? Learn more and get involved at abbyshouse.org.
Quick answers
About Abby’s House
Abby’s House is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing safe shelter, affordable housing, and advocacy services to women and children experiencing homelessness and housing instability. For 50 years, Abby’s House has remained committed to creating safe, supportive environments where women receive the resources they need to build self-directed lives. Grounded in principles of DEI, accessibility, antiracism, and belonging, our work is guided by a deep commitment to advancing social justice and strengthening our community.
As we close out our 50th anniversary year, the holidays are a time to make sure every woman and child at Abby’s House has a safe place to call home. This season, you can say yes in the way that fits you: make a gift this Giving Tuesday, December 1, shop our holiday needs list, or give before year end to keep the door open for the next 50 years. Give today or shop our needs list.