Despite Gains, Worcester, Massachusetts Struggles With Homelessness And Addiction

WORCESTER, MA - MARCH 20: Bill, who is a military veteran and now homeless, walks through an economically stressed section of the city on March 20, 2018 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Worcester, once a thriving manufacturing hub, has recently made moves into the medical industry, education and as a metropolitan hub for refugees in an attempt to revive its moribund economy. Like a growing number of Northeastern cities, Worcester has a chronic problem with homelessness and opioid addiction. The latest data in 2016 showed that 24.4% of Worcester residents were living below the poverty level. With overdoses increasing, the city plans to file litigation against pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors of opioid products. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)