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Really not sure why you decided to use that quote. The article isn't about that dude. He's mentioned twice, and it's never in the context of building more market rate housing. Hell, it's not even really an article that specifically says "more market rate housing will fix everything." In fact, large swaths of the article are about how cities are failing to build affordable housing, and several parts of the article specifically undercut what you're trying to say here.

>If mental-health issues or drug abuse were major drivers of homelessness, then places with higher rates of these problems would see higher rates of homelessness. They don’t. Utah, Alabama, Colorado, Kentucky, West Virginia, Vermont, Delaware, and Wisconsin have some of the highest rates of mental illness in the country, but relatively modest homelessness levels. What prevents at-risk people in these states from falling into homelessness at high rates is simple: They have more affordable-housing options.

Also from the article:

>When we have a dire shortage of affordable housing, it’s all but guaranteed that a certain number of people will become homeless.

And what does Worcester have? A shortage of affordable housing. As the WRB's report specifically points out (emphasis mine):

>Worcester may simply need more housing for all to mitigate rising costs. And both the City and private developers are on track to create that housing. For example, according to the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce , there are about 24 proposed or under-way housing projects in Worcester lined up for the next few years, creating hundreds of units. Most of these units may be market-rate, however, which may not immediately help to alleviate some of the cost-burden.

While yes, part of the problem is that Worcester doesn't have enough housing, the other half of the equation is that Worcester's residents are increasingly cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on housing. This is happening because incomes in the area are static, while the housing costs keep going up. While building market rate apartments might alleviate some of this problem, it's a big maybe, and the majority of the homeless are people who can't afford to live in that new housing anyway. Building more market rate housing also drives up rents on nearby properties, potentially forcing those residents into homelessness, creating a vicious cycle.

>The housing market is interrelated. The same rules that make it difficult and expensive to build market rate housing make it even more difficult and expensive to build affordable housing.

Except developers are not struggling to build market rate housing in Worcester. As I said, there are 24 housing projects in development in this city and most of them are going to be market rate. Seems like it's actually pretty easy to build market rate apartments in Worcester. Almost like city government is encouraging it. The city could have, y'know, chosen to not greenlight some of those market rate apartments in and offered incentives to build affordable ones, or forced developers to include a less expensive units in those developments, but it didn't, because it was worried that it might scare away developers because that's not as profitable for them. (The horror!) It's only now, after greenlighting nearly two dozen market rate housing projects, that they're considering inclusionary zoning.

>But if we don’t build new market rate housing to keep up with population, then more people become homeless as rents go up and the growing number of renters fight over the same amount of housing.

Except building more market rate apartments increases the rents on nearby properties, causing the very same problem you're claiming it helps avoid. If people are being forced out of their $800 apartments because now the landlord can charge $1500, a glut of $1750/mo apartments is not the solution. This is literally already happening. If 1500+ people are competing for 42 affordable housing units in Main South, chances are those people cannot afford to live in this new housing. Even if building them slightly brings down the rents, and that's a big if.

Build 'em all, let the market sort 'em out is wankery.

I will never complain about my water/sewer bill again. Damn!

3 bedroom, 1 bath outside of Worcester. Occupied by two adults for the majority of the year with the kid at college.

We have a high efficiency washer and a newer toilet, but I also have a garden I care for during the summer months, and a small flock of chickens in my back yard, and the most my bill has been is around $85. Last month it was $38

I would legit cry if our water/sewer bill was this high

That’s what did it for me. It took seconds to reach the bowl.

The damn thing never made any sounds like a typical running toilet either.

I’m cringing for having been such an idiot. So much wasted water. So much wasted money.

Thats too far whos going to pay for transportation.Good idea if they can get transportation but they're probably to cheap to do that.

To test this, drop some food color in to the top tank and wait a couple of hours. If any of the color shows up in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak.

There were two locations for Shbooms. The Mezcal location was the second location.

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There's an entire college campus with dorms available in Lancaster.

I live in a 3 BR, 1.5 bathroom house. We pay $35.00 a month.

The house in question is a 3 family house. 6-800 for water and septic combined?

The housing market is interrelated. The same rules that make it difficult and expensive to build market rate housing make it even more difficult and expensive to build affordable housing. More affordable housing creates spaces for people who are currently on the streets. But if we don’t build new market rate housing to keep up with population, then more people become homeless as rents go up and the growing number of renters fight over the same amount of housing.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/01/homelessness-affordable-housing-crisis-democrats-causes/672224/

Relevant quote “In their book, Homelessness Is a Housing Problem, the University of Washington professor Gregg Colburn and the data scientist Clayton Page Aldern demonstrate that “the homelessness crisis in coastal cities cannot be explained by disproportionate levels of drug use, mental illness, or poverty.” Rather, the most relevant factors in the homelessness crisis are rent prices and vacancy rates.”

Looking at the billing history, I'd say you have a toilet running.

How is more market rate housing going to prevent people from becoming homeless? According to that recent WRB report on the rent prices there's 24 housing projects in the pipeline and most of those are going to be market rate which won't do anything to lower rents. That's not going to solve anything.

There are some people on nextdoor absolutely LOSING it about the choice of the church on pleasant st to replace the hotel Grace beds. Thankfully there were far more who countered them and said that it was gross to fight against an emergency shelter for homeless people so they won’t die of exposure.

We need more beds and the city needs to be VERY careful about who they choose to partner with to run the shelters. Hotel Grace had some serious problems because of lack of oversight by the city.

My last bill was like $95

My family of 2 pays $60-80/quarter. But we have a new dishwasher, front load washing machine, low flow faucets and water efficient toilets, and I shower at the gym a lot. We also don’t have an irrigation system and don’t water the lawn.

Definitely need to add shelter beds given the rapid rise but we also need to expedite market rate and affordable housing if we’re going to slow down the pipeline of new people becoming homeless.

FYI if this happens, many municipalities will reverse some charges if you contact them and explain the situation of the leaky toilet and tell them it has been repaired.

https://www.masslive.com/#:~:text=With%20Worcester%E2%80%99s%20unsheltered,former%20Gentleman%E2%80%99s%20club%20...

It does seem high. For a family of four we pay 260-300 a quarter.

Not sure how long you've been there or if it was vacant before you, but the October numbers' jump significantly, I'd check for leaks. I have a 3 family (8 people) and we're usually around 600-800/quarter.

Not sure on the variables and specifics to your situation, but if it turns out you're paying way more than you should be, it may be the toilet.

For a far longer time than I can hope to emotionally recover from, I had a leaking toilet that made a water bill that (I now know) should have been around $125/quarter into $500+ every 3 months.

Two years ago I did a minor reno of the bathroom and the 1980's commode had to go. Aside from using too much water in perfect condition, I knew it was leaking from the tank into the bowl a little.

It wasn't a little. After replacing it with a new, modern, efficient (but highly effective) toilet, my water bills dropped from over $500 quarterly to $125ish.

All the bills I paid of several hundred dollars for years because of a f'in toilet with a "slow leak" will haunt me to my death.

I knew it was leaking. I had no idea how much.

Good for you for asking if your bill is normal. Took me years and stupidly wasted money to ask.

I dropped off some items to the one near West Boylston St earlier today…. But they can always use more stuff, especially freezer items!

Now I'm crying at work