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Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester was founded in 1985 by local activists who identified the need for affordable housing opportunities in the Greater Worcester area and were committed to solving the affordable housing problem. In 2007 we merged with the MetroWest Habitat to become Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester.

Our mission is to build homes, communities and hope for local families and veterans, and our vision is that everyone has a decent place to live. Habitat works toward accomplishing its mission by building affordable homes in partnership with volunteers and families. With an affordable home, families gain strength, stability and self-reliance. Through shelter we empower.

Families in our community partner with Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester to build a safe and affordable home, working alongside volunteers. They must contribute 300 hours of “sweat equity” on their project, attend financial education classes, and pay an affordable mortgage.

Through the Home Repair program, we support families and veterans who need help maintaining the home where they live.  Focusing on exterior and code related issues, we work to keep families in their homes with safety and dignity without the expense and trauma of moving.  As with our home builds, these families also partner with us to ensure each repair is a hand up—not a hand out—by repaying a small loan based on their income and investing sweat equity on a Habitat project.

Operation Playhouse is a unique program that benefits local veterans and military families and their children. Children of veterans are often left with a one-parent household and have to cope with feelings of loss and uncertainty. The playhouses provide a special place for family members to bond, play, dream, and think. It is a “home” of their own. In one day sponsors build and dedicate these playhouses to local veteran or current military families. Find out more about Operation Playhouse here!

Our Ashland and Worcester ReStores accept donations of new and gently used items that we sell to treasure hunters and bargain shoppers alike, raising money to support our mission to build homes, communities and hope for local families. To select and purchase from a sampling of our items, visit our ReStores online store. For full inventory available, please visit either of our stores!

Our Service Area: Ashland, Auburn, Barre, Boylston, Brookfield, Charlton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Framingham, Grafton, Holden, Holliston, Hopkinton, Leicester, Marlborough, Milford, Millbury, Natick, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Northborough, Northbridge, Oakham, Oxford, Paxton, Rutland, Sherborn, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Southbridge, Spencer, Sturbridge, Sudbury, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge, Wayland, Webster, West Boylston, West Brookfield, Westborough, and Worcester.

Families and veterans in our service area who need decent, affordable housing may apply for homeownership.

Homeownership is based on:

• The applicant’s level of need. Families must fall into the 30 – 60% of Area Median Income.
• Their willingness to partner with Habitat. Families must give back 300 “sweat equity” hours on their project.
• They must attend financial education classes provided by Habitat.
• And, the family must pay an affordable mortgage.

We offer families a hand up—not a hand out!

Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester follows a nondiscriminatory policy of family selection. Neither race nor religion is a factor in choosing Habitat’s homeowners.

Our program is designed to provide housing options to those who do not qualify for conventional mortgages, while providing support systems to help families help themselves. To find out more about our selection process click here.

In addition to new construction, Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester also renovates existing homes in our communities.

Separately, our Home Repair program is an outreach initiative that seeks to provide a wide range of opportunities for low to moderate income homeowners, including Veterans, who are struggling to maintain their homes due to age, disability, or family circumstances. This program allows us to partner with families to help them reclaim their homes with pride and dignity, focusing on exterior home repairs to address health, life and safety/code issues. Families can stay in the home where they live without being disrupted by the uncertainty, trauma, and expense of moving.

Habitat depends on financial donations to fund our work to help local families and veterans to own a safe and affordable home. Visit our ways to give page to learn more.

Our two ReStores, which sell reusable and surplus building materials, furniture, appliances, and other items are open to the public. Every purchase supports our mission to build homes, communities and hope for local families and veterans. Our local ReStores are located at 640 Lincoln Street, Suite 100, Worcester and 310 Pond Street, Ashland. Visit our ReStore website to learn more about how you can donate and shop. Besides shopping in the Ashland and Worcester and stores, both ReStores, now have online shopping available: www.letsrestoreonline.org.

Would you like to sponsor one of our events, or donate products or services for any of our programs? Please review this page www.habitatmwgw.org/get-involved/sponsorship for more information.

Habitat for Humanity affiliates are local Habitat for Humanity organizations that act in partnership with and on behalf of Habitat for Humanity International. Each Habitat affiliate coordinates all aspects of Habitat home building in its local area. If you live in any of the cities or towns that are in our service area, your local affiliate is Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester.

Ashland, Auburn, Barre, Boylston, Brookfield, Charlton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Framingham, Grafton, Holden, Holliston, Hopkinton, Leicester, Marlborough, Milford, Millbury, Natick, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Northborough, Northbridge, Oakham, Oxford, Paxton, Rutland, Sherborn, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Southbridge, Spencer, Sturbridge, Sudbury, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge, Wayland, Webster, West Boylston, West Brookfield, Westborough, and Worcester.

Habitat for Humanity ReStores are nonprofit home improvement stores and donation centers that sell new and gently used furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances to the public at a fraction of the retail price. Every purchase made at our ReStores benefits the local families we serve through affordable and safe housing.

Our local ReStores are located at 640 Lincoln Street, Suite 100 Worcester and 310 Pond Street, Ashland. Visit our ReStore website to learn more on how to learn more on how you can donate materials and shop at our stores. Besides shopping in the Worcester and Ashland stores, our Ashland and Worcester ReStores now has online shopping available: www.letsrestoreonline.org.