Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
APRIL 15, 2021
Subject
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON METRO’S HOMELESS OUTREACH EFFORTS
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE Update on Metro’s Homeless Outreach Efforts.
Issue
ISSUE
In spring 2016, Metro created the Metro Homeless Task Force to address displaced persons that have turned to Metro’s system and property for alternative shelter. Since then, Metro has made significant progress in addressing the homelessness issue by expanding its resources and partnering with community-based organizations.
Background
BACKGROUND
The homelessness crisis has significantly grown in the last couple of years. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) released the results of the 2020 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, which showed 66,436 people in Los Angeles County experiencing homelessness. This represents a 12.7% rise from last year’s Point-in-Time count of 58,936 homeless persons. The city of Los Angeles saw a 16.1% rise to 41,290 from last year’s point-in-time count of 36,300 homeless persons.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
P.A.T.H.
PATH outreach teams remain agile in their ability to use a crises deployment model to continue providing outreach and support to homeless persons. The outreach teams work hand in hand with law enforcement and work closely with the Departments of Health Services, Public Health and Mental Health to provide services and housing.
On February 25, 2021, Amendment Number Two to the Letter of Agreement for Multidisciplinary Street-Based Engagement Services was approved. Beginning March 1, 2021 through June 30, 2021, five (5) additional generalist outreach workers and one (1) additional supervisor were added to PATH’s outreach teams, bringing the total to thirty-five (35) outreach team members and, up to eighty (80) interim housing beds at sites that will be accessible throughout Los Angeles County.
Metro Transit Homeless Action Plan 2.0 Update:
Four (4) core components of the Plan are being updated and will enhance the Customer Experience.
• Research component: three demographic surveys of people experiencing homelessness have been undertaken. Homeless Counts on rail and bus will be conducted on a quarterly basis. The next Homeless count is scheduled in August 2021.
o Daily summaries of offloading and shelter data are reported by our law enforcement partners, Metro Transit Security (MTS) and three (3) outreach partners in Operation “Shelter the Unsheltered.”
• Education component: the Transit Watch App has been upgraded to include two-way texting and the ability to broadcast important information via text/push to app users.
• Coordination component: SSLE is in collaboration with Customer Experience to address homelessness on Metro’s system. SSLE in collaboration with the Department of Health Services secured eighty (80) shelter beds at “Home at Last” in South Los Angeles and five additional generalists have been added to PATH’s outreach teams. Collaboration with 2nd Call, a social service agency will provide ambassadors to serve on Metro’s system. The unarmed Ambassadors will be the first point of contact rather than MTS or law enforcement.
• Outreach component: SSLE’s Operation “Shelter the Unsheltered” aired on KABC and KNBC television in February and March, respectively. The Chief of SSLE, law enforcement and outreach partners were interviewed. The KABC interview was presented in Metro’s Friday Facts, a weekly snipped that informs employees on agency happenings.
Metro Bus/Rail One Day Homeless Count
On January 27, Metro SSLE in collaboration with our Law Enforcement partners and Operations conducted a one (1) - day Homeless Count on all directly operated bus and rail lines. A detailed report of the findings will be reported in the May Transit Safety and Security Board Report.
SSLE plans to execute subsequent rail and bus homeless counts to be performed on a quarterly basis. The third rail and bus homeless counts are tentatively scheduled for late August 2021. Additional counts will continue to aid us as we adjust our outreach efforts to focus on locations that are in need. We are working with the Executive Officer for Customer Experience to develop a method to obtain more detailed information on behaviors that are observed on the system to enable Metro to better determine the specific support that should be provided to assist the unhoused.
Metro Transit Ambassador Program
SSLE is collaborating with Metro’s WIN-LA Program and 2nd Call, a community-based organization, to pilot a Transit Ambassador Program designed to assist law enforcement with Operation “Shelter the Unsheltered” that connects people experiencing homelessness to outreach services. Through 2nd Call, select ex-offenders will be recruited to work with law enforcement in this pilot program.
Operation “Shelter the Unsheltered”
Metro has taken a proactive role in developing innovative solutions to provide resources to homeless persons seeking shelter on Metro’s system and infrastructures. Operation “Shelter the Unsheltered” is one of the solutions implemented to provide services to unhoused persons on Metro’s system through coordinated efforts with County and City of Los Angeles. The Operation is a collaborative outreach effort between Metro’s law enforcement partners and partnerships with PATH, The Dream Center and LA DOOR. The Operation began April 1, 2020 and is ongoing. Since the Operation’s inception, the total number of individuals housed April 2020 through March 15, 2021 is 743. On March 19, 2021, KNBC aired a report on SSLE’s Operation “Shelter the Unsheltered.” The KNBC story is now available on the KNBC website: https://www.nbclosangeles.com/on-air/la-metro-helps-the-homeless/2554183/ <https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbclosangeles.com%2Fon-air%2Fla-metro-helps-the-homeless%2F2554183%2F&data=04%7C01%7CBurrellGarciaJ%40metro.net%7C8c8750ecf1f44bb1f35908d8eb0b7d1e%7Cab57129bdbfd4cacaa77fc74c40364af%7C0%7C0%7C637517781858249184%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=yatCJvDTQY8L2L%2Fys42s1%2BX3Vdj6d1xWhXMhKx%2BtqJQ%3D&reserved=0>.
Outreach Partnerships
LA DOOR - Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office
The program is a recidivism reduction & drug diversion unit within the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office. LA DOOR outreach teams participate in Operation “Shelter the Unsheltered”. The outreach teams deploy to Union Station, MacArthur Park and 7th Street/Metro locations. The total number of contacts by LA DOOR beginning July 8, 2020 through March 15, 2021 is 2,633.
The Dream Center - A Community-Based Organization within Angeles Temple
Los Angeles faith-based organization provides outreach services at Union Station Friday nights, at the close of the station, providing end-of-the-line service to offer assistance to homeless persons. The Dream Center outreach teams participate in Operation “Shelter the Unsheltered.” The total number of contacts by the Dream Center beginning July 10, 2020 through March 15, 2021 is 1,036.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
SSLE is working with the Los Angeles Police Department on piloting a Flexible Dispatch Program. Once the details of the program are ready to implement, SSLE will report back to the Board with an update. We are aiming for May 1, 2021 to implement the program. Note: March 2021 PATH performance metrics, Motel Reports, Law Enforcement Homeless Outreach Metrics, and Success Stories will be included in the May monthly board report.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - PATH Homeless Outreach Update January - February 2021
Attachment B - PATH Motel Report January - February 2021
Attachment C - Law Enforcement Homeless Outreach Updates January - February 2021
Prepared_by
Prepared by Joyce Burrell Garcia, Project Manager, System Security and Law Enforcement, (213) 922-5551
Reviewed_by
Reviewed by: Judy Gerhardt, Chief System Security and Law Enforcement Officer, (213) 922-4811
