Meeting_Body
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 15, 2026
Subject
SUBJECT: HOMELESS OUTREACH MANAGEMENT & ENGAGEMENT (HOME) QUARTERLY REPORT AND YEAR-TO-DATE
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE the HOME Quarterly Report.
Issue
ISSUE
Los Angeles County is experiencing a homelessness crisis, and the spillover results in many unhoused individuals seeking shelter on Metro’s rail and busway system. Since 2017, Metro has been funding, with operations eligible fund sources, local social service agencies to deploy multidisciplinary teams who engage and deliver resources and services to unhoused riders. In addition, Metro has partnered with local homeless shelters to provide beds for the outreach teams to utilize. This is a report on the status and outcomes of Metro’s homeless engagements for the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, April through June of 2026.
Background
BACKGROUND
Metro continues to fund 24 multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) who perform outreach to people experiencing homelessness (PEH) on Metro’s rail and bus systems, and are staffed by the following agencies: People Assisting the Homeless (PATH, Christ Centered Ministries (CCM), HOPICS, LA Family Housing, Union Station Homeless Services, and Helpline Youth Counseling. Metro MDTs focus on engaging individuals and connecting them to housing and other services and are deployed across the entire rail and bus system seven days a week, with 24-hour coverage Monday through Friday. The six community agencies that deploy the 24 MDTs are based in different areas of LA County and are strategically assigned to segments of the Metro system located in their regions.
Since 2018, Metro MDTs have enrolled 31,011 individuals into the Homeless Management and Information System (HMIS), allowing them to gain access to homeless resources and services. The teams have successfully connected 8,546 people to interim housing and 2,069 people to permanent housing.
In addition to MDT outreach, Metro currently funds, using eligible operations fund sources, a total of 45 interim housing beds through LA County DHS. These beds, located in Central Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, are reserved for MDTs to directly refer the people they serve. Since September 19, 2025, the City of Pomona has provided five interim housing beds through its contract with the organization Volunteers of America, bringing the current total to 50 beds.
These beds provide occupants with access to a wide range of resources and programming that address a variety of client needs. All beds are required to provide 24-hour access, offering a vital resource to people experiencing homelessness during the late evening and early morning hours of Metro operation. Through key partnerships with external stakeholders, staff plan for the continued expansion of Metro-specific interim housing resources.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The following quarterly report provides an overview of the homeless response activities from April 2026 to June 2026.
Operational Capacity and Deployment
Currently, the twenty-four teams funded under the active DHS contract have been deployed; however, some teams are operating with vacant positions. Metro MDT partners continue to actively recruit for these vacancies while maintaining full coverage across the rail and busway system.
Impact
During the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, the MDTs successfully enrolled 1,639 people into HMIS, with each enrollment representing a first-time connection to services and highlighting the program’s ability to reach individuals not previously engaged with the system. The HOME department sets an annual housing connection goal for the total number of placements into either interim or permanent housing. Metro’s total housing placement goal for FY26 was 2,100, which represents a 17% increase over FY25’s goal of 1,800 total placements. During this quarter, the MDTs made 563 connections to interim housing and made 127 connections to permanent housing. This totals 690 housing placements in Quarter 4 of FY26, which is 131% of the Q4 goal of 525 placements. Lastly, MDTs continue to outperform their County counterparts who operate outside of the Metro system. Figure 2 in Attachment A shows updated comparison data.
So far, this fiscal year, 77% of non-permanent housing placements were traditional interim housing and recuperative care (45% interim housing & 32% recuperative care). In Q4, 73% of non-permanent housing placements were traditional interim and recuperative care. For permanent placements, Metro MDTs have successfully reunited individuals with family or friends, accounting for 60% of placements. Figures 3 and 4 in Attachment A show the breakdown of interim and permanent placements from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.
Metro participates in an annual point-in-time count concurrently with the countywide effort, deploying roughly 65 volunteers to its rail and busway system. As a result of sustaining outreach efforts annually, Metro’s collective point-in-time count results reflect a 57% systemwide reduction in the number of individuals experiencing homelessness over the past three years. Figure 1 in Attachment A shows the quarterly outcomes for the current fiscal year.
Metro engages with riders quarterly through the agency’s Pulse Surveys. Addressing homelessness often ranks among the lowest in customer satisfaction, yet it remains a top rider concern. Thanks to ongoing efforts, staff observed consistent improvements in rider satisfaction each quarter. Since 2024, overall satisfaction with Metro’s approach to homelessness has increased. Surveys from March 2026 indicate a 10% rise in customer satisfaction related to these efforts.
End of Line (EOL) Outreach
HOME deploys swing-shift outreach teams who collect data on the number of PEH exiting the terminating trains at EOL hotspot stations. Staff observed decreases over the previous quarter among the six EOL hotspot stations, which can be seen in the table below. Figure 5 in Attachment A shows the nightly average number (system nightly average across all EOL hotspot stations is 26) of PEH existing EOL hotspot stations from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.
In September of 2025, the A line extension opened and transferred the majority of terminating trains to the Pomona North station. Outreach teams began deploying their EOL teams to Pomona, engaging individuals for services and referring them to the five beds provided by the City of Pomona. Of the six terminating trains on the A line, two continue to terminate at APU/Citrus College station. HOME teams split their deployment between Pomona North station and APU/Citrus College station to ensure both EOL stations were being served. The average number of PEH exiting the trains at APU/Citrus is seven per night. Before the A Line extension, the average at APU/Citrus was 13 per night.
The HOME team has been engaging with EOL cities to establish partnerships to provide resources for people who shelter on Metro. Metro currently has a partnership in Pomona for five beds and has also been coordinating with the City of Long Beach and Supervisorial District 4 since September 2025 to allocate 10 beds for utilization by the Metro outreach teams. Metro’s prior contract with the County for 10 beds in Long Beach ended in June 2025, and staff immediately began seeking solutions to ensure resources remain available near the A Line Downtown Long Beach station. For the last two years, Metro MDTs also had access to 25 beds through a partnership with the LA County Chief Executive Office Homeless Initiative (LA CEO-HI) and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). Unfortunately, LAHSA is no longer funding their Welcome Navigation Center, and as of July 1, 2026, Metro MDTs no longer have access to the 25 beds. The Care-Based Services division will continue its goal of increasing access to resources through partnerships with community stakeholders.
Social Work Internships
Staff has established an internship program within the Care-Based Services division by developing relationships with schools of social work from several universities across LA County. Students are matched with the contracted community-based organizations that deploy multidisciplinary homeless outreach teams across Metro’s rail and busway system. A licensed clinical social worker provides supervision and ensures field practicum standards are met. From August 2025 through May 2026, Metro hosted six social work students from two universities: Azusa Pacific University and California State University, Long Beach. Helpline Youth Counseling, Christ Centered Ministries, and Union Station Homeless Services hosted the students for their field experience, which concluded in April.
Partnership Development & Department Growth
Metro staff have participated in four San Gabriel Valley COG meetings, particularly around the coordination of homeless outreach efforts at Metro stations within the region. Subsequent meetings with COG representatives have continued to advance these discussions, with a focus on strengthening all regional partnerships and exploring dedicated housing and shelter resources, including beds specifically designated for Metro clients. Additionally, Metro staff presented to the City of Beverly Hills prior to the opening of the D Line extension and have continued discussions through ongoing meetings at the leadership and service delivery levels.
Organizationally, key leadership positions have been filled in the Care-Based Services Division of DPS. Two Deputy Executive Officers were hired - one to oversee the Ambassador and Community Intervention Specialist programs, and the other to oversee Metro’s homelessness initiatives and programs. These new hires align with the department’s organizational chart and support the ongoing services offered to Metro riders and unhoused individuals on the system.
Looking Ahead
Metro MDTs performed very well during FY26, continuing a trend that has shown outcomes continually exceeding expectations year over year. Based on Metro’s Point-in-Time count results, the total number of people experiencing homelessness on the rail and busway system declined steadily, from a FY24 range of 1,041-1,092 to 631-684 in FY25. Staff counted again in January 2026, and the results show yet another decline, with a range of 395-517. At the time of this report, the HOME team has received outcome data for the first part of Q1 of FY27, which continues to look promising. People experiencing homelessness continue to receive housing resources and are enrolled in the HMIS system, helping them connect to safer, more permanent housing solutions.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Metro’s efforts to address homelessness on the transit system through its homeless outreach program directly benefit unhoused individuals in LA County. Using a multi-layered deployment strategy that combines several departments, Metro strategically engages the most disenfranchised members of the community.
Teams are deployed across the entire rail and busway system, allowing them to outreach to regions with dense populations of people experiencing homelessness. By connecting 10,098 individuals to housing resources since 2018, Metro has improved equitable access to housing for many disenfranchised members of the community. Connecting people with housing resources, mental health services, and other essential interventions positively impacts the overall goal of reducing homelessness across Los Angeles and demonstrates Metro’s commitment to providing access to opportunities for disenfranchised populations.
Vehicle_Miles_Traveled_Outcome
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED OUTCOME
VMT and VMT per capita in Los Angeles County are lower than national averages, the lowest in the SCAG region, and on the lower end of VMT per capita statewide, with these declining VMT trends due in part to Metro’s significant investment in rail and bus transit.* Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets align with California’s statewide climate goals, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. To ensure continued progress, all Board items are assessed for their potential impact on VMT.
As part of these ongoing efforts, this item is expected to contribute to further reductions in VMT. While this item does not directly encourage taking transit, sharing a ride, or using active transportation, it is a vital part of Metro operations, as it provides support for people who seek shelter on Metro. Because the Metro Board has adopted an agency-wide VMT Reduction Target, and this item supports the overall function of the agency, this item is consistent with the goals of reducing VMT.
*Based on population estimates from the United States Census and VMT estimates from Caltrans’ Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data between 2001-2019.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The recommendation supports Strategic Plan Goals #3.4: Enhance communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity; Metro will play a strong leadership role in efforts to address homelessness in LA County and #4.1: Transform LA County through regional collaboration and national leadership; Metro will work with partners to build trust and make decisions that support the goals of the Vision 2028 Plan.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to report quarterly on homeless outreach activity, outcomes, and strategic initiatives that address the presence of people experiencing homelessness on Metro’s system. As this division grows within the Department, staff will combine future quarterly HOME reports into one comprehensive quarterly report for the Care-Based Services Division. This consolidated report will provide information and updates on the following public safety programs: Transit Ambassadors, HOME, Community Intervention Specialists, and Crisis Response Teams.
Attachments
ATTACHMENT
Attachment A - Additional Data
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Craig Joyce, Senior Executive Officer, Special Programs, (213) 418-3008
Irene Muro, Deputy Executive Officer, Care Based Services Division, (213) 922-3536
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: William Scott, Chief of Police and Emergency Management, (213) 922-5448
