WORCESTER, Mass. - A new housing project in Worcester for people experiencing homelessness will soon welcome its first residents.

Nearly four years after a fire destroyed a former project on the same site at 6 Wyman Street, the South Middlesex Opportunity Council was excited to cut the ribbon on a new chapter Thursday.

“This was actually a property that had suffered significant fire damage in 2020 at the height of the pandemic,” said SMOC chief of staff Tania Diduca. “And so luckily, we were able to rehouse every individual that was here, but it was not habitable and it was a total loss. So we had to reconstruct the entire property.”

Fifteen people who have been experiencing homelessness will soon call the three-story building home, and it’s designed to be a permanent place to stay rather than a shelter.

Residents will use shared bathrooms, a shared kitchen, and shared living rooms. A case worker will also be on site to connect them with health care, jobs and education opportunities.

State Rep. David LeBouef, who lives in the neighborhood, believes the buildings soon-to-be residents will find a sense of community within its walls.

“This supportive housing model is something that we're fighting for in the Commonwealth as we're moving forward with our housing bond bill to make sure that it's accessible to communities,” LeBouef said.

Diduca said most of the construction for this building happened off-site.

“The actual pieces and each part of the property were constructed in a factory, and then when it was all completely constructed, it was transported to the property on large semi-trucks,” Diduca said. “Then, it was assembled in pieces in a matter of days.”

The new development was made possible using Sponsor-Based Permanent Supportive Housing funds, which will cover the cost of property maintenance.