SUMMARY

Homelessness: A Guide for Public Transportation

In recent years, the number of people experiencing homelessness has grown (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 2022a). People experiencing homelessness may live in emergency shelters (sheltered) or may be in tents on sidewalks (unsheltered). The unsheltered homeless population has grown more than the sheltered population. In addition to isolated tents, unsheltered people experiencing homelessness may live in encampments, cars, or abandoned buildings. The unsheltered population is who most housed people see and identify as homeless. On a single night in 2021, more than 326,000 people were experiencing sheltered homelessness in the United States (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 2022a). The number of sheltered individuals identified as chronically homeless increased by 20% between 2020 and 2021. Between 2020 and 2021, the reported emergency shelter and transitional housing inventory available for people experiencing homelessness remained relatively flat, but occupancy rates declined.

In recent years, transit agencies have developed programs and initiatives to respond to people experiencing homelessness, with particular attention to people living unsheltered (Loukaitou-Sideris et al. 2020). These transit agencies, including those in locations all around the country and in cities of different sizes, such as Atlanta, Austin, Denver, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, have created programs that support or provide some aid to people experiencing homelessness while also addressing the concerns of their transit agency staff members and housed riders. Other transit agencies are preparing to respond to homelessness or would like to develop responses to homelessness (Loukaitou-Sideris et al. 2020).

To better understand what transit agencies are doing or considering doing to respond to homelessness, TCRP commissioned this project to develop a guide for public transportation agencies and concerned stakeholders on approaches and practices that are responsive to those who are experiencing homelessness. By implementing these approaches, public transportation agencies will be able to preserve the quality of their services and facilities while respecting the rights and mobility needs of people experiencing homelessness, as well as their need for safe places.

The guide builds on several research studies, including those from TCRP (Boyle 2016), APTA (Bell et al. 2018), and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) (Loukaitou-Sideris et al. 2020, Loukaitou-Sideris et al. 2021). The findings from these studies demonstrate that homelessness continues to negatively affect transit systems. The findings also demonstrate that transit agencies continue to innovate to find more effective ways to respond to homelessness and to provide connections to supportive services.

This guide presents transit agency experiences and lessons learned as they have built on, recently implemented, or considered programmatic activities that respond to homelessness.

In synthesizing the existing and potential practices, the guide is meant to present how transit agencies with ongoing programs might further respond to homelessness. The guide should help transit agencies wanting to develop programs move forward.

Audience

The primary audience for the guide is transit agency staff responsible for the implementation of programs and practices to address homelessness. This may include staff who serve in key roles for supporting or implementing a program, such as transit agency executives and department managers and leads, particularly in security, operations, maintenance, and public engagement/outreach, as well as bus drivers and other frontline workers who interact directly with people experiencing homelessness. Other potential audiences include city agency personnel, transportation agencies, and homeless and social service organizations.

Research Methods

Multiple research methods were employed in the development of this guide. Academic studies and papers as well as grey literature were reviewed to identify practices and lessons learned. Nine transit agencies were selected for case studies (Table 1). The research team also identified 171 transit agencies that were included in either TCRP Synthesis 121: Transit Agency Practices in Interacting with People Who Are Homeless (Boyle 2016) or a UCLA study conducted by Loukaitou-Sideris et al. (2020), and searched newspapers, social media, and websites to identify existing practices and activities. The authors found 78 transit agencies with some activities related to homelessness. The agencies were selected to represent different regions in the United States, transit agency sizes, system types, and responses to homelessness. In addition, insights and information were obtained from the National Transit & Vulnerable Populations Workgroup, which is an informal group of transit agencies that meets monthly on the topics of homelessness and public safety. While the group’s focus is broader than homelessness, there is overlap on how transit agencies are rethinking their approaches to crisis management, community engagement, and public safety and security.

Table 1. Transit agency case study locations.

Key Takeaways

This study identified 73 transit agencies with self-described homeless response activities. Previous research has grouped activities as enforcement versus outreach oriented (Loukaitou-Sideris et al. 2020). This study identified additional activities beyond outreach and supportive services that are proactive responses to homelessness. These proactive responses include providing transit access and mobility and the use of land and facilities. Some of the activities serve people experiencing unsheltered homelessness primarily; other activities serve and benefit all transit system users.

The literature review and the case studies present transit agency approaches to homelessness and their work in efforts to mitigate the impacts of homelessness and offer concrete activities that transit agencies can use to address these impacts. These transit agencies provide a range of levels of engagement on the topic of homelessness. From a review of the case studies and the industry scan, transit agencies practices can be categorized as follows:

• Access to hygiene services: Access to hygiene services, including restrooms, porta-potties, and showers, varies across transit systems.
• Ambassador programs: Ambassador programs may focus on homeless outreach, transit enforcement, or general customer service.
• Crisis intervention training: Training is provided across the transit agency to a wide range of transit employees, not just security and enforcement personnel.
• Crisis management staff: On-call or on-system crisis management staff and teams can respond to events or needs.
• Homeless outreach programs: Outreach programs and staff directly focus on engaging and providing services to people experiencing homelessness on the transit system.
• On-site services: Homeless, mental health, or other services are provided at an on-site location.
• Transportation to shelters: Transportation to shelters is provided through free bus fares or direct transport.

Several themes were observed through the case studies.

• Data and metrics: More understanding is needed on the data and performance metrics needed to understand the effectiveness of policies and programs.
• Enforcement: Standard enforcement policies and techniques are not sufficient to mitigate the impacts and effects of homelessness. Transit agencies are supplementing enforcement with support programs.
• Funding: Additional funding is needed for the transit agencies and their partners; these partners are also underfunded, under-resourced, and understaffed.
• Leadership: Leadership is important for implementing effective policies and practices to manage issues related to homelessness while maintaining quality transit services and clean and safe environments for all riders. Transit agency leadership is critical in responding to homelessness due to leaders’ ability to build partnerships, improve system accessibility, assist in outreach efforts, repurpose facilities, and advocate for effective policies and resources with local agencies and organizations. By leveraging their resources, expertise, and influence, transit agencies can contribute to comprehensive and coordinated approaches that address homelessness in their communities.
• Partnerships: Since the solutions to homelessness are beyond the transit agencies’ scope and control, transit agencies need assistance from government partners, other agencies, and organizations. Transit agencies should understand their role in managing solutions regarding homelessness and build appropriate partnerships with organizations to assist with matters outside the agencies’ expertise and abilities.

Contents

The report is divided into two parts. Part I includes Chapters 1 through 4. Chapters 2 and 3 draw on academic literature, grey literature, and mass media reports to provide an overview of homelessness and how it affects public transportation. Chapter 4 uses case studies to describe the activities of transit agencies to address the issues of homelessness in their communities. Part II discusses transit agency homelessness program activities and approaches in the following four chapters: Chapter 5: Providing Access and Mobility; Chapter 6: Supporting People Experiencing Homelessness; Chapter 7: Land, Facilities, and Public Spaces; and Chapter 8: Implementing an Effective Program to Address Homelessness.

Chapter 5: Providing Access and Mobility

Transit agencies provide access to essential services (e.g., supportive housing, social services) and mobility for patrons, including people experiencing homelessness. Transit agencies have initiated programs that benefit low-income riders, such as discounted and free fares that especially benefit the unhoused population. Some transit agencies have started to rethink fare evasion penalties. Activities discussed in Chapter 5 include:

• Access to essential services
• Transit fares:
  • Low-income, discounted, and free-fare programs
  • Fare compliance

Chapter 6: Supporting People Experiencing Homelessness

For transit agencies creating supportive responses to homelessness, particularly people living in or frequently visiting transit properties, a common strategy is to identify ways to support the people experiencing homelessness. Conducting outreach activities, connecting people to social services and housing, and building partnerships with external providers and agencies go hand in hand with the role of transit police, safety, and security personnel when responding to people experiencing homelessness and other emergency situations. Approaches and activities discussed in Chapter 6 include:

• Outreach services and emergency response approaches and activities:
  • Providing helpful information
  • Building relationships
  • Connecting people with services
  • Providing outreach services
  • Providing service on-site
  • Adopting alternative policing and emergency response
  • Decriminalizing or de-emphasizing minor infractions
• Transit agency staff roles:
  • Ambassadors
  • Crisis management staff
  • Transit police
• Transit agency teams:
  • Crisis response teams
  • Homeless outreach/response teams
• Training:
  • Crisis intervention training
  • De-escalation training
  • General awareness training

Chapter 7: Land, Facilities, and Public Spaces

The management of transit agencies’ assets is extremely important in providing a safe, clean environment for all riders and employees. Transit agencies may use or offer their land, vehicles, and other property as a response to homelessness. Some transit agencies are providing access to restrooms or hygiene facilities for washing, providing land or other resources to create emergency alternative shelters, and partnering to create transit-oriented development with affordable housing. Activities discussed in Chapter 7 include:

• Facilities and assets:
  • Public places
  • Encampments
• Hygiene and public restrooms
• Public transportation vehicles
• Alternative shelters or housing:
  • Alternative shelters
  • Housing development

Chapter 8: Implementing an Effective Program to Address Homelessness

Program development activities help public transportation agencies support programs to address homelessness and provide inclusive and safe transit services. Core components of implementing programs discussed in Chapter 8 include:

• Launching and developing programs:
  • Pilot programs
  • Comprehensive approaches
• Building support:
  • Agency leadership
  • Promoting internal buy-in
  • Rider engagement and education
• Accessing funding
• Utilizing data, performance measures, and evaluation

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