Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
SEPTEMBER 17, 2020
Subject
SUBJECT: QUARTERLY 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. Metro has taken a proactive role in developing innovative solutions to provide resources, especially for those who interact with Metro’s system and infrastructures.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
System Security & Law Enforcement (SSLE) - COVID-19 Deployment
In tandem with P.A.T.H.’s outreach efforts during the pandemic, System Security & Law Enforcement implemented two Outreach Operations: Operation “LA Metro Homeless Outreach” and Operation “Shelter the Unsheltered.” The objective of the Operations is twofold: to ensure that the trains are sanitary and to provide incentive to unsheltered persons to accept services. To meet this objective, law enforcement ensures that all riders disembark trains at the end-of-the-line. At this juncture, Fare Enforcement Officers ensure that riders exit through the turnstiles. Outreach teams are positioned to engage with homeless persons (paying and non-paying) when they exit through the turnstiles. SSLE is committed to heightened security and sanitation throughout the transit system. Performance measures reveal an increase in the number of homeless persons accepting services and an uptick in increased ridership.
Four-Prong Deployment Strategy
• Union Station closure 12 a.m. - 4 a.m.
• Off-loading of riders at the end-of-the-line
• Fare Enforcement
• Outreach Teams
P.A.T.H.
P.A.T.H. 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 coordinate outreach with law enforcement and work closely with the Departments of Health Services, Public Health and Mental Health.
P.A.T.H.’s current level of staffing is 32 outreach workers. The ideal outreach number is 40. PATH has modified their daily outreach efforts to early- and mid-morning deployment on rail. Lack of outreach staff limits outreach on Metro’s system. Metro’s rail system does not have a presence of outreach teams between the hours of 3:30 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. P.A.T.H. is actively interviewing staff to fill the outreach void. PATH recruits through their website, epath.org.
The challenge in hiring outreach clinicians is attributed to:
• clinical skills required to be on the outreach team
• population served
• hours of outreach
Quarterly Summary of Motel Placements
March Motel Report:
Secured 30 motel rooms. The demographics and justification for each of these placements are attached.
Brief Demographic Overview:
• A total of 50 homeless persons were housed in 30 motel rooms.
• 35 of the clients were a combination of single mothers with children and couples with children.
• 15 were singularly housed.
• 70% of clients were a combination of families.
Total Motel Cost: $50,491.14
April Motel Report:
Secured 82 motel rooms. The demographics and justification for each of these placements are attached.
Brief Demographic Overview:
• A total of 127 homeless persons were housed in 82 motel rooms.
• 74 of the clients were a combination of couples, couples with children.
• 53 clients were singularly housed.
• 59% of the clients were a combination of families.
Total Motel Cost: $153,955.06
May Motel Report:
Secured 26 motel rooms. The demographics and justification for each of these placements are attached.
Brief Demographic Overview:
• A total of 36 homeless persons were housed in 26 motel rooms.
• 15 of the clients were a combination of single mothers with children and couples with children.
• 21 clients were singularly housed.
• 58% of the clients were singularly housed.
Total Motel Cost: $62,464.45
June Motel Report:
Secured 31 motel rooms. Please see attachment containing the demographics with justification for each of the placements.
Brief Demographic Overview:
• A total of 45 homeless persons were housed in 31 motel rooms.
• 29 of the clients were a combination of single mothers with children and couples with children.
• 16 clients were singularly housed.
• 64% of the clients were a combination of families.
Total Motel Cost: $61,462.06
City and County Homeless Outreach Partnerships
• P.A.T.H. (People Assisting the Homeless) -
• LAHSA (The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority)
• The Department of Health Services -
• The Department of Mental Health
• The Unified Homelessness Response Center
• Mayor’s Office of City Homelessness
• Neighborhood Prosecutor
New Homeless 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 is a comprehensive, health-focused, preventative approach that engages individuals at elevated risk of returning to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. Rather than waiting to charge new arrests, LA DOOR delivers peer-led multidisciplinary social services to homeless persons at “hotspot” locations. Union Station and MacArthur Park are two of the “hotspots.” All services are free of charge.
The Dream Center - A community-based organization within Angeles Temple
• Los Angeles faith-based organization will provide 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 has expertise and resources to provide immediate aid to homeless individuals in need of services on a 24-hour basis. All services are free of charge.
Seeking Collaborations with:
• LAHSA: Executive CEO
• Mayor’s Office of City Homelessness Initiatives (MOCHI)
o Housing Chief
o Housing Innovation Director
o Housing Innovation, Sr. Project Manager
o Housing Finance
o Affordable Housing Production Manager
o Program Director, Sustainable Development Goals Housing Accelerator
Encampment Discussions in Progress include:
• Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney, Safe Neighborhoods and Gangs Division, Neighborhood Prosecutor - Central Division
Metro Liaison with City Unified Homelessness Response Center (UHRC):
• Metro dedicating a full-time Transit Security Community Liaison to the UHRC
• The Liaison will advocate for Metro through connecting UHRC resources with Metro departments
Metro System-wide Homeless Count:
• Planning is underway to conduct a 4-day count of homeless persons on rail and bus through collaboration with ITS and other departments.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to collaborate with community partners to identify future partnerships and opportunities to provide services to unsheltered individuals on Metro’s system.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Homeless Snapshot Outreach March 2020 - June 2020 REV
Attachment B - Homeless Outreach Success Stories March 2020 - June 2020 REV
Attachment C - March - June 2020 Motel Report
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Joyce Burrell Garcia, Project Manager, System Security and Law Enforcement, (213) 922-5551
Reviewed_by
Reviewed by: Bob Green, Chief System Security and Law Enforcement Officer, (213) 922-4811
