Disrupting the Cycle - Draft Framework

Encampments present significant risks to public health, safety, environmental integrity, and the wellbeing of both unhoused individuals and the broader community. Put simply, encampments are both inhumane and environmentally hazardous.

• Public health risks: Encampments pose risks of infectious disease transmission due to close living quarters, limited access to hygiene facilities, and exposure to waste (Liu, Chai, & Watt, 2020). Vulnerable individuals may be more likely to acquire cold weather-induced illnesses, hypothermia, respiratory complications, and injury. As a result, this increases public health risks due to many unsheltered populations lacking access to healthcare, health insurance, the ability to relocate, and overall stability.
• Fire safety: Encampments with open flames, propane heaters, batteries, drug paraphernalia, and makeshift electrical setups dramatically increase fire risks (Orton et al., 2024), which poses potential threats to individuals living in these spaces, first responders, and surrounding communities. During routine outreach in winter 2025 and early 2026, there was anecdotal evidence of increased use of propane heaters and other improvised heating strategies among unsheltered individuals.

Worcester 311 repeatedly captures how encampments provide central locations for the accumulation of abandoned items, trash, discarded needles/sharps, and human waste. From 2022 to 2025, 70% of 7,000 recorded service requests were related to encampments. Encampment cleanup expenses (non-state, municipal premises) more than doubled between FY 2024 and FY 2025, increasing by approximately 113%. In FY 2026, costs leapt. At the time of publishing, FY 2026 spending was estimated to be more than $100,000, representing a burden on Worcester’s tax base and the allocation of municipal resources. A local public camping ordinance would help address this ongoing and multifaceted issue and contribute to keeping the community cleaner, safer, and healthier.

The public camping ordinance aims to prohibit camping on public property, including but not limited to parks, sidewalks, riverbanks, underpasses, and other rights-of-way. It is grounded in best practices and the legal precedent established by the U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 decision overturning Martin v. City of Boise (2018), which affirmed that enforcement of anti-public camping ordinances does not violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of imposing cruel and unusual punishment.

The ordinance establishes a clear and consistent enforcement framework to address public health and safety concerns, with the following protocols:

• Enforcement practices: Enforcement actions are tied to the availability of appropriate shelter or treatment options and include due process protection for personal belongings.
• Notice requirements: A seventy-two (72) hour minimum written notice will be issued to individuals residing in an encampment or posted in a visible location. Notices will include the date and time of clearance, available shelter and service options, and details on property handling and retrieval.
• Shelter and treatment options: Prior to any enforcement actions, individuals will be offered options including but not limited to shelter, treatment, and housing so that compliance and service engagement is voluntary for individuals, and personal belongings are protected with due process safeguards.
• RV use and camping restrictions: Prohibit individuals from camping on any property that has been officially posted as "no trespassing." In addition, cars, campers, or RVs may not be used or occupied for sleeping, habitation, or any living purposes while parked on a public way or in a public parking lot for more than 24 consecutive hours. This restriction applies at all times regardless of the hour of day. Exceptions are permitted only in limited circumstances, including emergency situations, special events, concerts, festivals, or during loading and unloading - provided that these activities do not exceed the 24 hour limit.

Passage and implementation of the ordinance will require coordination and enforcement from multiple departments within the municipality, as well as a united front from citywide community partners and stakeholders. A proposed data collection procedure should include the location of the encampment or service request, description of the setting, and the resolution. Data will be collected and stored in a secure system, ensuring client confidentiality and compliance with data management practices.

A clear and humane approach to managing encampments will help address the service connection barriers faced by unhoused individuals. Before any enforcement action occurs, the municipality will prioritize outreach and engagement with individuals residing in encampments.

• Community-based outreach and service navigation: Local and multidisciplinary street outreach teams will remain visible in the community, proactively identifying encampment locations and assessing individuals’ needs related to housing, shelter, medical and behavioral healthcare, and safety.
• Engagement strategies: Engagement with individuals will be trauma-informed, compassionate, and evidence-based. During each encounter, efforts will prioritize providing individuals with information and referrals to available shelter, housing options, and supportive services, both within Worcester and, when appropriate, beyond the City. 
   

Based on historical data, increasing the number of beds would help to stabilize the shelter system, reduce chronic overcapacity, and ensure adequate coverage during extreme weather events and emergencies.

• Expansion of our current shelter system would provide flexibility of overflow capacity during periods of high demand. Current facilities would consolidate existing shelter beds while incorporating the proposed increase.
• Strengthened collaboration with community partners will improve system flow, coordination, and service delivery across shelter and housing programs.
• Exit pathways from shelters, without new land acquisition, should be created through the development and expansion of transitional housing units and Single Room Occupancy (SRO) units, in partnership with community organizations.

Advancing transitions into more stable and permanent housing options remains essential and will increase access to supportive services, privacy, affordable living costs, and sustainability.

The municipality would retain regulatory authority by overseeing the execution of expanding shelter capacity and ensuring consistency with interdepartmental team protocols such as emergency management, public health standards, fire and code regulations, and neighborhood impacts. Potential funding sources to support this model include: Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), Opioid Settlement Funds, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), HOME-ARP funding managed through the Division of Housing & Neighborhood Development, Division of Public Health funding, health foundations, and philanthropic partners.

The municipality will work with support service partners to create a shelter capacity dashboard that consistently tracks the number of beds across the shelter system in Worcester.

• Real-time data: Update the dashboard daily, displaying the number of shelter beds available at both permanent and temporary shelters, including eligibility criteria and locations.
• Shared access: Provide access to all community partners to support coordinated referrals and placements.
• Standardized practices: Align data collection and reporting with Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) standards for outreach and coordinated entry.
• Integrated platform: Utilize the dashboard on an existing platform to enable community partners to regularly update bed numbers.
• Coordinated placement: Use the dashboard to direct individuals to appropriate shelter options and improve system-wide efficiency.

The planned expansion of shelter capacity is intended to occur near the municipality's Day Resource Center to increase service delivery and reduce barriers for individuals who require wrap-around support.

• Wrap-around services: The Day Resource Center would ensure immediate access to essential services and support, including case management, housing navigation, behavioral health and substance use treatment referrals, benefits assistance, workforce assistance, and recovery supports.
• Operation hours: It will be open during the daytime and offer bathroom and shower facilities, charging stations, laundry machines, and storage lockers to any unhoused individual.
• Intentional location: The alignment of the large shelter facility near the Day Resource Center would help bridge the gap between unsheltered individuals and service connections essential for stability, operating a one-stop facility for support.
• Cross-sector collaboration: This approach would facilitate cross-sectional collaboration among service providers, community outreach teams, emergency medical services, and law enforcement.
• Strengthen coordination of shelter guests: It will serve as a day shelter where shelter guests have access to accurate, up-to-date information on available services and resources as well as access to a consistent presence of community workers.
• Workforce support: Utilize trained volunteers to help supplement shelter operations - addressing staffing limitations and preventing burnout.

A coordinated shelter and service delivery model will centralize community resources and care, creating an equitable approach that reduces the number of unhoused individuals in Worcester and supports long-term stability.

Worcester's current citywide shelter system operates largely on an open-access model, where individuals self-refer directly to providers and beds are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis without a centralized intake or prioritization mechanism. A coordinated shelter access system with a live dashboard for Worcester would maintain Worcester’s commitment to low-threshold access.

To strengthen Worcester's shelter access system, an equitable first-come, first-served coordinated shelter list should be established to promote fairness, transparency, and consistent access for all individuals seeking shelter. This system must be rooted in real-time data and operationalized through a live dashboard that displays bed availability, upcoming vacancies, shelter type, accessibility features, and any temporary closures. A live dashboard ensures that individuals, outreach teams, hospitals, libraries, police, and partnering agencies have accurate information, reducing confusion and inequities created by outdated or inconsistent communication. Real-time visibility promotes accountability, improves coordination, and supports streamlined access for individuals who historically struggle to navigate fragmented shelter systems.

An equitable coordinated entry system must also include structured diversion pathways for individuals with high acuity needs. Individuals experiencing complex medical conditions, behavioral health crises, mobility limitations, sensory disabilities, or cognitive impairments should be diverted to respite shelters or specialized facilities, such as medical respite programs (e.g., facilities offering short-term recuperative care for unhoused patients discharged from hospitals) and behavioral health stabilization centers designed to support individuals experiencing acute mental health crises. This approach ensures that the coordinated list does not overburden traditional shelter settings and that individuals with the highest support needs are directed to environments that can provide appropriate care. By integrating diversion protocols within the coordinated entry system, Worcester can improve placement outcomes and protect the health and safety of unhoused individuals with elevated vulnerabilities.

To effectively support individuals with complex medical conditions or disabilities, the coordinated entry system should work closely with hospital systems, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and healthcare providers. Formal partnerships can promote early identification of unhoused patients, streamline referrals, and facilitate warm handoffs to respite shelters or specialized housing programs. Collaboration with these institutions is essential to preventing avoidable discharges into unsheltered homelessness and ensuring that individuals receive safe, appropriate placements. This coordination demonstrates a commitment to comprehensive care and builds trust in the system’s capacity to address health-related housing barriers.

By integrating these components, real-time data, equitable first-come access, structured prioritization for high-acuity needs, and strong partnerships across health and social service sectors, shelters can build a coordinated access system that is fair, efficient, and responsive to the complexities of its unhoused population. Addressing potential provider concerns early will foster collaboration and ensure successful implementation.

Developing and adapting a Coordinated Shelter Access System would entail the following:

1. Single coordinated access points: Create single coordinated access points that are available (1) virtually, (2) in person, or (3) via telephone for all adult shelter referrals in Worcester. This system would:
   • Receive referrals from street outreach, hospitals, police, libraries, and self-referrals.
   • Maintain real-time bed availability across shelters through the online dashboard.
   • Maintain a centralized list of individuals seeking shelter when no appropriate bed is immediately available.
2. Accessing the shelter entry system: Management of the proposed shelter entry system should aim to coordinate access to shelters in Worcester - not restrict it. To best manage this system, the following should be established:
   • A real-time shelter capacity dashboard that showcases daily updates from all shelters for shared visibility for providers, outreach teams, and municipal departments regarding:
     • Available beds
     • Occupied beds
     • Expected vacancies
     • Shelter type and population served
     • Accessibility features
     • Temporary closures or unavailable beds
     • Overflow or emergency capacity
   • Formalized shared protocols across providers:
     • Consistent definitions of "unsheltered homelessness," "chronic homelessness," "engagement," and "shelter entry"
     • Standardized referral and placement procedures
     • Shared documentation requirements
     • Appropriate data-sharing and confidentiality agreements
     • Warm handoff procedures when individuals transition between shelters or services
     • Procedures for updating bed availability
     • Protocols for emergency and extreme-weather situations
3. Establish oversight, accountability, and evaluation: The municipality and participating providers will monitor implementation and ensure the system remains equitable and effective. Performance measures should include:
   • Number of individuals seeking shelter
   • Number placed immediately
   • Number placed on the waitlist
   • Average and median wait time
   • Number of individuals who exit the waitlist through housing or another permanent placement
   • Number of individuals who remain unsheltered while awaiting placement
   • Shelter utilization and vacancies
   • Outcomes during extreme weather events

Worcester requires coordination and intentional collaboration between community partners, service providers, and the municipality's departments. Partnering with different social support agencies, housing resources, and recovery support providers will aid in bridging the gap between existing efforts to prevent experiences of being unhoused and providing more effective service delivery to the City's most vulnerable populations. Working as a collective on this issue should involve standardizing procedures and terminology across agencies and institutions. For example, it is vital that the community is on the same page about language such as:

• Community outreach and street outreach
• Sheltered and unsheltered individuals
• Unhoused and chronically unhoused
• At risk of being unhoused
• Client engagement
• Encampment
• Housing retention and/or placement
• Refusal of services

The Housing and Homelessness Taskforce should organize meetings to develop an unhoused and community outreach glossary and clearly define the meaning of each term, ensuring consistency and accountability across community efforts. Once this is drafted, revision and feedback should be prioritized and organized by taskforce leaders. Alongside standard language, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and facilitated training will be essential to holding public service workers and agencies accountable for specific tasks or service engagements.

The municipality, community partners, outreach teams, and other key stakeholders must work collaboratively to address the needs of unhoused individuals.

• Centralized outreach network: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) outreach team should continue to lead street outreach efforts in the community to ensure that all local outreach teams meet regularly and work together.
• Community outreach agreement: An agreement would be ideal to establish a commitment to outreach efforts and to hold community partners accountable.
• Duplicated efforts: Community outreach workers have observed how many unhoused individuals have overlapping case management services across multiple agencies - showcasing a lack of communication and potential billing issues.
• Data sharing: Client monitoring exists through HMIS, yet several agencies have not agreed to share data on unhoused individuals, further limiting accurate follow-ups and effective care coordination between agencies.

Current care coordination lacks a centralized entry system where agencies can share data and monitor unhoused individuals’ engagements with outreach or other support programs. Establishing a data-sharing agreement between community partners in Worcester would allow service workers to understand "who works with whom" - further improving the flow of service delivery.

Outreach efforts have identified "chronically homeless" or unhoused individuals within Worcester encampments who may qualify for enhanced housing coordination through the Continuum of Care (CoC) process. Strengthening CoC coordination will require street outreach agencies and community partners to align around a formalized warm-handoff protocol. Through coordinated efforts, partners can ensure individuals receive the necessary resources and documentation to support successful CoC applications. Improved access to and sharing of information will further align stakeholders and strengthen pathways to housing for chronically unhoused individuals.