Meeting_Body
REVISED
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
AD HOC CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
MAY 17, 2018
Subject
SUBJECT: HOMELESS OUTREACH
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
CONSIDER:
A. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer to expand the Multidisciplinary Homeless Outreach Program (C3) from 2 to 8 outreach teams operating seven days a week on Metro rail, bus and at Union Station. Staffing levels will be assessed annually thereafter; and
B. RECEIVING AND FILING Metro’s inventory planning assessment for homeless temporary housing.
Issue
ISSUE
At the March 22, 2018 April 26, 2018 Board meeting Motion 14.1 by Directors Ridley-Thomas, Garcetti, Fasana, and Kuehl (Attachment A) was approved to return to the board in May 2018 as part of the FY19 Budget deliberations, with recommendations on extending the Pilot Multidisciplinary Homeless Outreach Program on an ongoing basis, including expanding the program to various lines and stations experiencing homelessness. The Board also requested that staff inventory Metro-owned real estate to determine what can be used for temporary housing of the homeless.
Background
BACKGROUND
Metro has been impacted LA County’s homeless crisis. According to the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, approximately 58,000 people in LA County are homeless and two-thirds are without shelter. Due to the lack of available shelter space and 24-hour operating shelters County-wide, homeless individuals have taken to Metro’s system and properties for shelter. In spring 2016, at the direction of Metro’s CEO, Metro’s Homeless Task Force was assembled to address the impact of homelessness onto Metro. Metro’s Transit Homeless Action Plan (Attachment B) was received and approved by the Board in February 2017 and was quickly put into action.
Implementation of Metro’s Transit Homeless Action Plan and Metro’s Broader Homeless Efforts
Metro’s Transit Homeless Action Plan prioritizes the customer experience, safety and security and provides comprehensive and holistic responsive outreach to the homeless on Metro (Attachment C). The Action Plan’s key components include coordinating homeless outreach among Metro law enforcement, deploying homeless outreach teams (Multi-Disciplinary Teams/ C3 Teams), partnering with homeless connect days, partnering with LA County, LA City and Long Beach City and aligning Metro’s workforce development efforts to identify job opportunities.
Metro has taken major steps in furtherance of the Action Plan’s stated initiatives. On May 22, 2017 Metro deployed the Board directed pilot program to provide homeless outreach through two dedicated C3 teams along the Red Line. Since conducting outreach over the last eleven months Metro’s C3 teams have made 2,542 homeless contacts and have placed approximately 12% of these contacts into permanent housing. As of July 1, 2017, Metro adopted a multi-pronged law enforcement approach employing LA City Police Department and Long Beach PD along with the LA County Sheriff’s Department. This deployment model has enhanced Metro police presence on bus and rail and the ability to utilize their respective homeless outreach police services to engage the homeless and place them into services. Their work is coordinated with Metro’s C3 teams and the LA County Department of Mental Health (DMH).
Metro continues to enhance coordination and homeless resources through LA County, LA City, and Long Beach City onto Metro. Officers provide resource information from their respective cities and when necessary transport that individual to homeless resources. Through partnerships, Metro has obtained homeless resources under LA County’s Measure H-providing that Metro will share twenty outreach workers with other County-wide government properties to get the homeless into housing. These teams, which are in addition to the dedicated Metro outreach team, will engage homeless on Metro property up to the fare gates, the exception being the 7th/ Metro Station where teams will engage homeless on system platforms. Metro will identify any additional funding opportunities through both the County and City of Los Angeles.
Homeless Connect Days adjacent to rail stations provide additional opportunities for homeless to be linked to resources. Over the last few months, Metro has partnered with existing Homeless Connect Days hosted by the Service Planning Areas (SPAs). In addition to having our Red Line C3 Teams connect homeless on the line to services during hours of outreach, Metro’s Mobile Customer Center (MCC) attends Metro property- adjacent connect days to provide information and resources available to the homeless under the Metro L.I.F.E.. program (Low-Income Fare is Easy). In addition to providing these resources, Metro also provides work force development opportunities to the homeless. As such, Metro’s Project Labor Agreement includes the homeless as an eligible worker to meet the workforce participation goals. In addition, the Metro WIN-LA Program (Workforce Initiative Now) partners with the Weingart Center to provide workforce opportunities to formerly homeless individuals to allow them to become self- sufficient members of society.
As active participants of Mayor Garcetti’s Unified Homeless Response Center (UHRC), staff is coordinating with proper parties to collaborate on homeless response where appropriate and to provide heat-map location information of Metro’s homeless presence as provided by our C3 teams and officers.
DISCUSSION
Expansion of Multidisciplinary Homeless Outreach Teams
The Board motion calls for consideration of an expansion of the Pilot Multidisciplinary Homeless Outreach Teams (MDT) Program. Currently, the two pilot homeless outreach teams conduct outreach on the Red Line exclusively from the hours of 7am to 4pm, Monday through Friday while homeless services are open. In an effort to provide homeless outreach across the system inclusive of bus and rail during peak homeless presence, Metro’s proposal considers the input of the Department of Health Services, our current C3 teams, operator, and officer feedback. The proposal has also been vetted by Metro’s Homeless Task Force. Our outreach provider is prepared to engage in creative methods to keep the homeless interested in services during service gap periods. The program will be assessed on a yearly basis as the landscape of homeless services across the County are continually changing and expanding through Measures H and HHH.
Recommendation: Expand pilot program from 2 teams operating 5 days a week to a total of 8 teams, operating 7 days a week for a one-year period. Approx. Cost- $4,207,125
|
|
RAIL |
BUS |
UNION STATION |
|
COVERAGE |
All Rail Lines |
Owl Service |
On Site |
|
DEPLOYMENT |
AM: 3 Teams PM: 3 Teams |
PM: 1 Team |
PM: 1 Team |
*AM: 6:30am- 3:30pm; PM: 11:30pm- 8:30am; Briefing for AM & PM teams: 7am-8am
In the recommended proposal, homeless outreach will be provided to all rail lines, owl bus service and Union Station property. To allow for a warm-hand-off of engaged homeless from AM and PM teams briefings will occur daily from 7am to 8am. Through the Metro Transit Watch App, customers will be able to report homeless presence on Metro and that individual will be engaged by our MDT designated to that location. Understanding that homeless must voluntary accept services per the law, the ongoing presence of Metro’s MDTs will build a relationship between outreach and the homeless to ultimately get the homeless housed. In measuring MDT effectiveness, Metro will consider:
• the number of homeless contacts made on the system;
• the number of homeless placed into housing; and
• direct feedback from customers through the Metro Customer Service Survey.
Real Estate Metro Inventory Planning Assessment for Potential Homeless Temporary Housing
The Metro owned properties included in Attachment C have been identified as potential sites to support temporary housing because of the following conditions:
(1) Immediately available;
(2) Have not been identified for future development; and
(3) Park and Ride utilization is less than 50%
Properties that are too remote either for access or are isolated from services are not considered. Park-n-ride lots that are utilized heavily are not considered in order to minimize the impact on the transit customer experience. All locations provided are tiered based on proximity to stations and are comprised of one or more sites. Tier 1 is adjacent or near a Metro station. Tier 2 is within one mile of a station. Tier 3 is more than a mile from the station.
In addition to identifying an inventory of potential locations for temporary housing, considerations that the requesting entity/jurisdiction provides the appropriate indemnification, and that matters, including costs, pertaining to public safety, maintenance, hygiene and logistics are adequately addressed and do not become Metro’s responsibility, are the required elements to ensure a potential site is suitable for temporary housing.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Homeless MDT Expansion
Eight Teams at approximately, $4,207,125 annually of System Security & Law Enforcement budget. Upon approval, funding for the project will be captured in the FY19 operating budget: Cost Center: 2610 | Project: 306006 | Task: 01.001|.
Expansion of the MDT to eight teams will cost $4,207,125 annually. Funding for the project is included in the FY19 operating budget in Cost Center 2610, Project 306006. If this project is extended beyond FY19, the cost center manager and Chief, System Security and Law Enforcement will be responsible for budgeting funds in future years.
Impact to Budget
The source of funds for this program will be General Funds, which are eligible for bus and rail capital and operations.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
Homeless MDT Expansion
Alternative 1- Current Model: 2 teams, 5 days a week, 1 year. Approx. Cost- $1,200,000
|
|
RAIL |
BUS |
UNION STATION |
|
COVERAGE |
Red Line Only |
None |
None |
|
DEPLOYMENT |
AM: 2 Teams |
None |
None |
This alternative is not recommended as staff has determined that there is a need to expand the number of MDT’s on the system beyond one line based upon the demand of the homeless crisis required outreach.
Alternative 2- 4 Teams, 7 a week, 1 year. Approx. Cost- $2,250,000
|
|
RAIL |
BUS |
UNION STATION |
|
COVERAGE |
Red/ Gold/ Green |
Owl Service |
On Site |
|
DEPLOYMENT |
AM: 1 Team PM: 1 Team |
PM: 1 Team |
PM: 1 Team |
This alternative is not recommended as it provides limited rail outreach. While a cost savings, the homeless hot spot data, operator and police feedback is that outreach is needed on all lines for more than a few hours a week.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will modify the contract with the County to support the expansion of the homeless outreach teams.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Motion 14.1 for MDT Expansion and Real Estate Inventory
Attachment B - Metro Transit Homeless Action Plan
Attachment C - Metro Temporary Housing Inventory
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Jennifer Loew. Manager, System Security and Law Enforcement Special Projects (213) 922-2346
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Alex Z. Wiggins, Chief, System Security and Law Enforcement, (213) 922-4433
Therese McMillan, Chief Planning Officer, Countywide Planning and Development, (213) 922-7077
Stephanie Wiggins, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, (213) 922-1023
