Meeting_Body
SYSTEM SAFETY, SECURITY AND OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 19, 2017
Subject
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON METRO’S ONGOING HOMELESS
OUTREACH EFFORTS
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE Metro’s Ongoing Homeless Outreach Efforts.
Issue
ISSUE
At the September 2017 System Security, Security and Operations Committee, following the Transit Policing report, the Committee requested a standalone item on Metro’s ongoing homeless outreach efforts.
This report reflects Metro’s ongoing efforts to address the presence of homelessness on the Metro system and properties by providing coordinated and responsive outreach in furtherance of Metro’s Homeless Task force and Metro’s Transit Homeless Action Plan.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
In Spring 2016, at the direction of the CEO, Metro created a Metro Homeless Task Force to address the influx of homelessness on Metro’s system and properties. This increase is reflective of the Los Angeles Homeless Service Agency (LAHSA) reported increase of homeless throughout Los Angeles County. The Metro Homeless Task Force meets quarterly and includes stakeholders such as Metro staff, LAHSA, Department of Health Services, Law Enforcement, City Prosecutors, homeless outreach providers and the County CEO’s office whom is responsible for developing the Measure H strategies. The Task Force is unique in the transportation industry and among other Metro initiatives, it has earned Metro the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Gold Award for Security in Heavy Rail.
In October 2016, Directors Ridley-Thomas, Fasana, Bonin and Dupont-Walker introduced a motion to develop a pilot program with City, County, and Community (C3) outreach teams to conduct coordinated homeless outreach (See Attachment A- Motion). In February 2017, staff presented to the Board a Metro Transit Homeless Action Plan with the aid of consultants, Communities in Motion. That plan identified Metro as the lead to coordinate homeless response between the C3 teams and law enforcement. The Metro Transit Homeless Action Plan serves as a guide to improve safety for passengers and employees and provides coordinated outreach and engagement efforts toward the homeless.
METRO’S C3 HOMELESS OUTREACH
On May 22, 2017, Metro’s C3 Homeless Outreach teams began to conduct their outreach. Metro’s C3 teams are contracted through the L.A. County Department of Health Services which is subcontracted with People Assisting the Homeless (P.A.T.H.). At the recommendation of the L.A. County Department of Health, the two C3 homeless outreach teams work exclusively on the Metro Red Line due to homeless sheer demand. The C3 teams conduct their outreach Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., as those times best match operating hours for homeless services. The following are Metro’s homeless contact numbers for the month of August 2017.
|
Performance Measure |
Monthly Number Served |
Fiscal Year to Date Number Served |
|
Number of unduplicated individuals’ initiated contact (pre-engagement phase) |
218 |
1468 |
|
Number of unduplicated individuals engaged (engagement phase) |
180 |
1105 |
|
Number of unduplicated individuals who are provided services or who successfully attained referrals |
94 |
403 |
|
Number of unduplicated individuals engaged who successfully attained an interim housing resource (this includes crisis and/or bridge housing) |
17 |
57 |
|
Number of unduplicated individuals engaged who are successfully linked to a permanent housing program |
27 |
129 |
|
Number of unduplicated individuals engaged who are permanently housed |
1 |
4 |
With Metro System Security and Law Enforcement personnel as the lead, on an ongoing basis Metro’s C3 teams coordinate with LAPD’s Homeless Outreach and Protective Engagement (HOPE) Teams, LA County Sheriff’s Mental Evaluation Teams (MET) and Metro’s Transit Security Officers (TSO’s) to provide coordinated homeless response along the Red Line. Beyond the Red Line, TSOs, LASD MET Teams and LAPD Hope Teams provide homeless outreach and response. LASD MET Teams are LASD officers paired with nurses to engage the homeless and get them into services while LAPD HOPE teams are LAPD officers who partner with LAHSA, the LA City Attorney’s Office and the LA City Department of Sanitation for homeless response. In each structure, the MET and HOPE teams have limited staffing despite the homeless presence throughout Metro’s system and properties (See Attachment B- Homeless Hot Spot Summary).
ADDITIONAL EFFORTS FOR HOMELESS RESPONSE
Metro is currently in discussions with LA County’s Department of Health Services to expand the existing pilot program to hire at least 2-3 additional homeless outreach teams. These additional outreach teams would conduct homeless outreach exclusively inside the Metro service area.
To address Metro property encampments and homeless presence throughout the system, Metro has relied upon limited Sheriff MET and LAPD HOPE Teams but is expanding their outreach to further include outreach staff in LAHSA’s Service Planning Area (SPA) network. As noted in the Transit Policing report, the LA County Board of Supervisors have additionally committed forty (40) additional homeless outreach staff focused on government properties-- Metro, parks, libraries, beaches, and harbors.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Motion
Attachment B - Homeless Hot Spot Summary
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Jennifer Loew, Manager, Security Special Projects (213) 922-3646
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Alex Wiggins, Chief System Security & Law Enforcement Officer (213) 922-4433
Reviewed by: Stephanie Wiggins, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (213) 922-1023
