Eric Batista Explains Worcester’s “Disrupting the Cycle” Homelessness Strategy

CM Defends Worcester Homelessness Strategy and Proposed Camping Ordinance

By-Hank Stolz
Photos-submitted, Graphic-Radio Worcester

Questions, Concerns, Opinions?

Worcester, MA-Worcester City Manager Eric Batista sat down to discuss the city’s newly proposed strategic framework titled “Disrupting the Cycle,” which aims to address homelessness through improved coordination, accountability, and service delivery.

“It’s unfortunate when you have a framework that what we’re trying to do is not disrupting the cycle of the individuals, disrupting the cycle of the system that has failed them,” he says.

Batista acknowledged that government at all levels has failed to adequately address homelessness and emphasized that the framework is designed to close systemic gaps rather than criminalize the unhoused population.

“We need better data, better information sharing between partners, including the municipality. And we need better accountability.”

“The camping ordinance is something that we had put forward because, and then the ordinance speaks specifically about how are we going to address some of the encampments that have happened across the city,” Batista explains.

Central to the conversation was the proposed camping ordinance, which includes a $25 fine, the minimum allowable under city policy. Batista stressed that the fine is not the focus of the ordinance, and that enforcement cannot proceed without first strengthening available services, outreach, and resources.

“The $25 fine is you need to have some kind of a fine associated if you’re going to provide any enforcement and there will be a penalty for that enforcement. So, $25 is the lowest that you can find somebody.”

He described the ordinance as a codification of existing city practices, intended to provide clear direction to all departments and communicate a defined standard of outreach and enforcement to the public. He understands the pushback expressed at a recent City Council meeting.

“Homelessness is not a crime. So, I agree. I agree with the sentiments of people saying that homelessness is not a crime.”

Batista addressed barriers preventing unhoused individuals from accepting shelter, including safety concerns, theft, substance use policies, and pets, while also noting that some individuals decline services even when housing and vouchers are offered.

He called for improved shelter conditions and better coordination among service providers, citing duplication of outreach efforts as a specific problem.

“No one should feel unsafe in a shelter. No one should feel unsafe in a place that they’re trying to provide some care. And we as a collective need to do a better job in providing and strengthening that.”

“What we’re trying to do here is we’re trying to create a balance. We have needs, the unhoused community has a need of providing services, providing supportive services, housing, et cetera,” he said.

The city manager outlined progress toward permanent supportive housing, noting over 60 units completed out of a goal of approximately 100, while acknowledging that federal funding constraints have slowed further development. He noted that the chronically homeless population in Worcester numbers in the 200s, a figure he believes is addressable with proper resource alignment.

Additional efforts discussed include expanding shelter capacity, improving the Day Center, and restructuring the distribution of opioid settlement funds to better reach community partners.

He said the voice of the business community should be listened to as well.

“There are sometimes crimes that cause people’s perception of safety to question what are we doing around public safety? We have business owners who need some support as well.”

The proposed camping ordinance has not yet been adopted. City Council Vice Chairman Khrystian King held the ordinance and the broader “Disrupting the Cycle” framework before the September 15 City Council meeting, saying he wanted additional time to review the proposal and receive a more complete briefing from the administration. The issue is expected to return to the City Council on September 22.

What Would Worcester’s Proposed Camping Ordinance Actually Do?

Worcester’s proposed public camping ordinance is one part of City Manager Eric Batista’s broader “Disrupting the Cycle” strategy for addressing homelessness. The ordinance has not been adopted and is scheduled to return to the City Council on September 22.

If approved in its current form, the ordinance would prohibit camping, sleeping or lying on streets, sidewalks, bike paths and other public property. It would also restrict the use of cars, campers and recreational vehicles as living spaces on public ways or in public parking lots for more than 24 consecutive hours.

The proposal does not call for immediately issuing a fine when an encampment is identified. City workers would first be expected to conduct outreach and make reasonable efforts to connect individuals with shelter, treatment and supportive services. Before an encampment is cleared, the proposal also calls for notice of up to 72 hours, except in emergency circumstances.

After outreach and notice, continued violations could be addressed through civil, criminal or noncriminal enforcement. The proposed penalty is $25 for each day a violation continues. Batista has described the $25 amount as the lowest fine available and has argued that enforcement is intended to support outreach and voluntary compliance rather than criminalize homelessness.

The ordinance would work alongside other pieces of the “Disrupting the Cycle” framework, including efforts to increase shelter capacity, improve coordination among service providers, strengthen data sharing and expand housing options. Batista has said the ordinance should be considered within that broader strategy rather than as a stand-alone response to homelessness.

The proposal has drawn opposition from residents who argue that restricting sleeping and camping in public spaces could effectively penalize people who have nowhere else to go. Batista, meanwhile, has said that “being unhoused is not a crime and will not be treated as such.” The City Council has yet to decide what form, if any, the proposed ordinance will ultimately take.

SOURCES

https://www.clarku.edu/university-park-partnership/scholarships/