Ron Waddell for 15th Worcester District

I was encouraged to see construction begin on the tiny homes project near University Park.

Will four homes solve Worcester’s housing crisis? No. But meaningful change has to start somewhere.

We need practical, human-centered solutions to housing insecurity:

• Tiny homes
• Starter homes
• Smarter zoning
• Mixed-income development
• Supportive housing tied to mental health and recovery services

As someone who has worked closely with returning citizens and families in crisis, I’ve seen firsthand that housing impacts everything: public safety, workforce development, mental health, and community stability.

Worcester it’s time for more innovation and problem solving.

We need less ideological fighting and more collaboration around solutions that actually help people rebuild their lives.

Starting small: Construction on tiny homes begins near University Park Four individual units of about 550 square feet each will be built at 6 Claremont St.

Spent time today at the 16th Annual Mission in Motion ride supporting cancer survivorship at the YMCA!

This year I rode carrying the names and memories of my mom Karen, my Aunt Beverly and Lorraine, my Uncle Rainford and Eric, and my sister Bernadette.

Cancer touches almost every family in some way. Events like this remind us that survivorship is not just medical. It’s emotional, communal, and deeply personal.

Grateful to everyone who organized, participated, donated, and showed up for others today. The energy in the room was powerful. So many stories. So much love. So much remembrance.

And somewhere in all that movement, healing too.

I stopped by the 11th Anniversary celebration for Cafe Reyes and honestly, the stories stayed with me long after I left.

Hector Reyes Jr. spoke about his grandfather, who the café is named after, and shared something powerful:

Recovery doesn’t just change individuals.
It changes legacies.

Luis, the manager of the café, shared his recovery journey too. Real people. Real healing. Real second chances.

And it reminded me of something Worcester needs to confront honestly.

This district has not seen a transformational state investment in mental health infrastructure since the Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital opened in 2012.

Since then:
• the opioid crisis exploded
• youth mental health challenges increased
• emergency rooms became overwhelmed
• recovery organizations stretched thin
• and nonprofits were asked to do more and more with less

Meanwhile, too many families are still waiting for access to care, treatment, housing support, and recovery services.

I believe public health is public safety.

If we want safer neighborhoods and stronger communities, we must invest in:
• behavioral health care
• recovery services
• crisis response systems
• housing stability
• workforce development
• and the community organizations already doing this work every single day

Worcester. It’s Time we receive the funding this level of urgency demands. In this district we’ve been managing crisis.

Places like Cafe Reyes matter because they show what recovery can actually look like when people are given dignity, opportunity, and support.

When I’m elected, I will fight to bring meaningful behavioral health and recovery funding into Worcester, strengthen partnerships between community organizations and the state, and push for the kind of long-term investment our city has not seen in over a DECADE!

Also… when you stop by to say what’s up to Luis, get the Ropa Vieja. Trust me.

Worcester, It’s Time.

Massachusetts is one of the world’s leading technology and education hubs.

But our laws are still struggling to catch up to the realities of AI-generated child exploitation.

Massachusetts still has significant legal gaps when it comes to AI-generated child sexual abuse material and deepfake exploitation.

The Constitution and many of our legal frameworks were written for a different era.

An era before anonymous platforms, algorithmic amplification, generative AI, and digital exploitation at global scale.

This is not about abandoning civil liberties.

It is about modernizing safeguards responsibly.

I believe Massachusetts should lead by:

• Explicitly addressing AI-generated child exploitation in state law
• Strengthening cybercrime and child protection units
• Expanding digital literacy and online safety education in schools
• Supporting parents and schools navigating these rapidly changing technologies
• Holding platforms accountable when profit is prioritized over child safety

For this generation, digital safety is public safety.

it’s time to stop being distracted by ideological differences long enough to recognize that technology is changing the landscape of risk for our children and communities.

We need thoughtful leadership and safeguards that match the realities of the digital age.

Child exploitation on the dark web: Inside the online crisis Threats once confined to the physical world are now on children’s laptops, their gaming systems, and the phones they carry in their pockets — and investigators can't keep up.

You’re invited 👋

Join Ron for a Community Meet & Greet at Aria on the Row.

📍 Aria on the Row – Clubhouse, 5th Floor
📅 Friday, June 5
🕔 5:00–7:00 PM

Come meet neighbors, ask questions, hear Ron’s vision for Worcester, and enjoy a relaxed evening right in your community.

🍽 Free food
🥤 Free drinks
🎟 Prizes

Friends and neighbors welcome.

Worcester, it’s time.

Will we see you there?

Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86241031643

I attended a really thoughtful event on representative democracy and civic trust centered around the writings and legacy of my favorite American Frederick Douglass.

At a time when so much of our national and local conversation is driven by outrage, division, and algorithms, it was refreshing to sit in a room focused on dialogue, history, and reflection.

One thing that stood out to me was how fragile democracy becomes when people lose trust in institutions and in each other.

Representative democracy only works when people stay engaged, informed, and connected to their communities.

That’s why spaces like this matter.

Grateful to Voter Choice Massachusetts, Mass Humanities, and everyone involved for creating space for conversation instead of conflict and curiosity instead of cynicism.

Douglass understood that democracy is not something we inherit automatically.

It’s something in which we have to participate, protect, and continue shaping together.