Sheltering on Public Transit: Characteristics of Unsheltered Riders and Experiences with Homelessness Services Interventions

• In Event: Lightning Session: Methods and Tools of Analysis & Housing, Community Development, and Urban Policy

Abstract

Public transportation (PT) is the primary mode of transit used by people experiencing homelessness (Murphy, 2019). For unhoused residents, public transit, like libraries, provides respite from the elements along with other amenities required for survival(Kelleher, 2013). In Los Angeles County (LA), the homeless population has grown by more than 50% since 2015 (LAHSA, n.d.), and represents an increasingly visible segment of the LA transit riding population. This visibility has garnered significant media attention and sparked both public ire and concerns about public safety on PT (Ramos & DuBose, 2023). In response to an increase in unhoused transit ridership, transit authorities use a mix of punitive tools (move-along orders and quality-of-life enforcement) and outreach teams (often to homelessness services connections) (Ding et al., 2022). The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has adopted an outreach-forward policy, deploying multidisciplinary outreach teams across LA to connect unhoused residents with services. At the same time, Metro has increased private security and law enforcement visibility and has declared intentions to reduce fare evasion. Implementing these programs requires collaborative relationships with organizations outside of the transit sector, particularly homelessness services and law enforcement. However, perspectives of people experiencing homelessness are (Ding et al., 2022).

This mixed-methods study aims to close this gap by answering the following questions: (1) what are the characteristics of unhoused transit riders; (2) how do they use public transit systems; (3) how do they experience the collaborative programs used by Metro to manage homelessness?

I begin with a quantitative analysis of the characteristics of unhoused transit users using data from the LA homelessness demographic survey and the Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS). Additionally, I analyze data collected through semi-structured interviews with unhoused people who sheltered on transit to examine the transit and service experiences of unhoused transit riders utilizing LA’s PT system. I find that people using public transit infrastructure as shelter are distinct from other unsheltered residents along several dimensions. I also find that many rely on transit systems as a last resort and that their experiences with transit police and outreach workers are mixed, with some residents deriving material and immaterial benefits from their interactions, and others generating distrust.

The purpose of this study is to produce insights to improve services aimed at unhoused residents who use and sleep on public transportation. In particular, the study aims to understand the shelter choices of unhoused riders, experiences with homelessness outreach workers, police, private security, and Metro staff, and the unique housing and service barriers and needs of unhoused transit riders. 

Author

• Jordy David Coutin, University of Southern California
  Presenting Author