It is exactly for that.

I guess everyone is forgetting that the bulk of "critical infrastructure" jobs all make under 70k a year(not counting overtime and such). Force them all to move elsewhere causes shortages in critical positions. The biggest recent example is snow plow drivers, that's only going to get worse and worse every season. We will see shortages across the board soon and already are. I mean a Worcester firefighter or police officer couldnt even afford to live there.

it's pretty much this. I'm at another similar place in the region and for me it is worth the peace/quiet and nice apt (can never hear neighbors, very calm area) to pay a premium for my 1 bed + den after coming home from the hospital. Many of the people I see in the complex are either other healthcare workers like me or retired. It is definitely a temporary place though, no one would ever stay in a place like this - at least not a young person.

Are they actually out of overpriced downtown apartment units? Because most of those seem like they'd be more appealing to that audience than this, if a closer town to Boston isn't available.

And let's not forget that many IT related jobs, coding jobs, data analyst jobs, etc have become remote. More people can move wherever they want now. And I don't see someone who has that flexibility choosing Worcester.