THE CTA RAIL SYSTEM HAS LONG BEEN A SHELTER OF LAST RESORT FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

THERE HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO HELP THEM.

CTA LEADERS CITE COVID-19 WITH DRIVING A SPIKE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SHELTERING ON TRAINS AS A REASON TO TAKE ACTION AS PART OF A NATIONWIDE TREND OF TRANSIT SYSTEMS FOCUSING LESS ON ENFORCEMENT AND MORE ON OUTREACH IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BLOCK CLUB.

CHICAGO BLOOMBERG TELLS US HOW THE CTA IS SPENDING MILLIONS TO HELP UNSHELTERED CHICAGOANS AND THE MANY CHALLENGES THE TRANSIT AGENCY AND ITS PARTNERS FACE.

>> THESE OUTREACH WORKERS FROM THE NONPROFIT HAYMARKET CENTER ARE ONE OF 4 TEAMS THAT TRAVEL THE CTA, RED AND BLUE LINES OFFERING SERVICES TO PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS.

>> HAVE BLOCKS OF THE CONTRERAS JUST IN CASE.

WE SNACK PACKS.

>> THE TEAMS ARE MADE UP OF MULTIPLE OUTREACH WORKERS FROM THE HAYMARKET CENTER AND THE ORGANIZATION THRESHOLDS TO GROUPS WORKING DAY SHIFT TO GROUPS ARE ON THE NIGHT SHIFT.

SOME OF THE WORK IS SIMPLY MAKING CONVERSATION.

SOME OF IT IS MEETING BASIC NEEDS LIKE CLOTHES AND FOOD.

IT'S MUCH MORE THAN THAT.

WHAT WE CAN HELP.

>> YOU GET INTO A SHELTER AND IT'S TOUGH THING.

BUT SOMETIMES WE'RE SUCCESSFUL, OK, AND OVERBURDENED SHELTER SYSTEM.

WE CAN HELP YOU GET ON THE INDEPENDENT HOUSING.

>> OUTREACH WORKERS SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME ON TRAINS AND IN STATIONS WITH COLLEAGUES AT THE READY TO HELP PEOPLE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

>> THERE'S SOMEBODY THAT WE ENCOUNTER ON THE TRAIN.

OUR TEAM WHO'S WHO'S IN THE VAN SORT OF ROLL UP TO THE NEXT STATION, PICK THAT PERSON UP AND PROVIDE THEM TRANSPORTATION TO A SHELTER TO A HOSPITAL TO OUR SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT FACILITY.

>> TO SECURITY OFFICE TO THE STATE ID TO ANY OF THOSE DIFFERENT PLACES.

>> THOSE TEAMS ARE PART OF 2 MILLION DOLLAR PROGRAM CREATED BY THE CTA AND THE CITY'S FAMILY AND SUPPORT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

IT WAS FIRST APPROVED IN NOVEMBER 2022.

AND RENEWED IN NOVEMBER 2023.

WITH AN ADDITIONAL 2 MILLION DOLLARS.

>> THESE ARE OUR HOMELESS BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

RIGHT?

AND WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO ASSIST THEM IN A NUMBER OF PEOPLE.

A NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS COME TO US AND SAY NOT JUST, HEY, THIS IS AN ISSUE AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT.

BUT WHAT CAN I DO?

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP ADDRESS THIS ISSUE?

>> ACCORDING TO THE CITY'S MOST RECENT ESTIMATE OF ITS HOMELESS POPULATION, NEARLY HALF OF CHICAGOANS WITHOUT SHELTER.

WE'RE USING THE CTA AS A PLACE TO STAY WAS CLEAR THAT WE HAD TO TAKE MORE STEPS TO ADDRESS SITUATION.

>> INDIVIDUAL SHELTERING ON THE CTA DON'T WANT TO BE SHELTERING THERE.

THEY WANT TO BE SHELTERING IN MORE PERMANENT LOCATIONS.

>> AT LAST COUNT, THE CTA SAYS OUTREACH WORKERS HAVE LOGGED MORE THAN 5,000 ENCOUNTERS WITH PASSENGERS WHO ARE HOMELESS.

MORE THAN 120 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PLACED IN A SHELTER AND NEARLY 50 HAVE GOTTEN PERMANENT HOUSING.

THOSE NUMBERS REPRESENT HARD, ONE RELATIONSHIPS AND TRUST BUILT OVER TIME.

IT COULD BE 50 VISITS.

>> SOMETIMES IT COULD BE 2 OR 3 VISITS JUST REALLY THE PATS.

BUT YOU HAVE TO KEEP SHOWING UP TO GET KEEP COMING BACK.

>> IN REPORTS OBTAINED BY WTW NEWS AND BLOCK CLUB.

CHICAGO, THE OUTREACH TEAMS DETAIL SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE AS OF LAST FALL.

THE MAJORITY OF ENCOUNTERS WHERE WITH PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T WANT TO ENGAGE MUCH WITH WORKERS, MAJOR PORTION OF SERVICE REQUESTS WERE FOR MORE BASIC NEEDS LIKE FOOD AND HYGIENE PRODUCTS AS WELL AS CASE MANAGEMENT AND HELP ENROLLING IN THE SHELTER SYSTEM.

>> THIS KIND OF WORK DOESN'T HAVE A TYPICAL DAY.

THE AMOUNT OF THE HOW BROAD OUR SERVICES ARE IS REALLY INTENDED BECAUSE WE'RE THERE TO RESPOND TO THE NEED OF THE PATIENTS.

>> DESPITE THE OBSTACLES, THE REPORT ALSO SHOWED THE IMPACT THE PROGRAM IS HAVING WHEN HE MARKET TEAM WAS ABLE TO REVERSE AN OVERDOSE ON THE BLUE LINE.

ANOTHER CLIENT, ONE OF THE NEARLY 50 OR SO AT LAST COUNT, PLACED UNSTABLE OR PERMANENT HOUSING RECONNECTED WITH HIS MOTHER AND LEARNED HARM REDUCTION TECHNIQUES BECAUSE HE USES HEROIN.

>> PEOPLE DO BETTER IF YOU CAN FIND THEM SAFE HOUSING FASTER AND THEN THEY CAN WORK THINGS OF THAT LIFE.

IT'S EASY TO WORK ON MY MENTAL I SUBSTANCE ABUSE CHALLENGES.

IF I GOT A ROOF OVER MY HEAD.

>> BUT THAT POINTS TO A HUGE PROBLEM BEYOND THE CONTROL OF THE CTA, HAYMARKET ARE THRESHOLDS.

CHICAGO'S SHORTAGE OF SHELTER SPACE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

THE NATIONAL LOW INCOME HOUSING COALITION SAYS THERE ARE ONLY ENOUGH AFFORDABLE AND AVAILABLE UNITS FOR ABOUT A 3RD OF EXTREMELY LOW-INCOME RENTER HOUSEHOLDS IN THE CHICAGO AREA.

IT'S TO B AND SWITCH A LEE SIMMONS IS WITH THE CHICAGO COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS, WHICH SETS THE CITY'S NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AT MORE THAN 68,000.

THAT'S A MIX OF PEOPLE LIVING ON THE STREET IN SHELTERS OR DOUBLED UP IN SOMEONE ELSE'S HOME.

NO REASON.

>> WHY MANY PEOPLE YOU KNOW, BE EXPERIENCING HOMES STANCE.

NO REASON WHY, YOU KNOW, IT'S TAKEN THIS LONG ADDRESS THE AND IS ONLY GETTING SIMMONS'S ORGANIZATION IS BACKING THE BALLOT MEASURE KNOWN AS BRING CHICAGO HOME.

IT CALLS FOR RAISING THE REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAX ON PROPERTIES SELLING FOR MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS, CREATING A DEDICATED FUNDING STREAM TO TACKLE HOMELESSNESS.

>> WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING EACH AND EVERY YEAR.

YOU KNOW, BUDGET IS ON END.

>> AND MONEY, YOU KNOW, TO DO, NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO DO AND OFTENTIMES, YOU KNOW, HOMELESSNESS IS OPEN >> IN THE MEANTIME, SIMMONS AND OTHER ADVOCATES SAY AGENCIES LIKE CTA MOVING AWAY FROM ENFORCEMENT TOWARD OUTREACH IS THE RIGHT APPROACH.

IT'S PART OF A NATIONWIDE TREND AMONG TRANSIT AGENCIES THAT ARE FACING DOWN A SOCIETAL PROBLEM LARGELY OUTSIDE THEIR TRADITIONAL EXPERTISE OR CONTROL.

YOU CAN'T SOLVE THIS.

PROBLEM.

>> JUST BY USING FORCE MAGAZINE DO NEED TO HAVE THAT SOCIAL SERVICES THAT SUPPORT THEIR THAT OUTREACH.

>> PREVIOUS ETA OUTREACH PROGRAMS WEREN'T THIS EXTENSIVE OR CONSISTENT?

WELL, THE PROGRAM IS CURRENTLY AUTHORIZED ONLY THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.

MCKOWN SAYS THE AGENCY IS COMMITTED TO 2 MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY WITH HOPES OF EXPANDING AND HELPING MORE PEOPLE INTO A PERMANENT HOME.

>> YOU CAN'T JUST, YOU KNOW, DO SOMETHING FOR A YEAR AND EXPECTED TO HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON A SYSTEM.

AND SO THERE AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR THAT.

>> WITH THE PROGRAM AUTHORIZED THROUGH THE END OF 2024, OUTREACH TEAMS WILL BE OUT ON THE RED AND BLUE LINES DOING WHAT THEY CAN AS ADVOCATES PUSH TO CREATE MORE STABLE, PERMANENT PLACES THAT PEOPLE SHELTERING ON THE CTA KIND EVENTUALLY CALL HOME.

SO THOSE GOING TO ALWAYS BE MORE PEOPLE TO WORK WITH.

BUT THE KEY IS HOUSING.

THOSE PEOPLE IN 5, YOU HAVING.

>> EASY TO ACCESS HOUSING DIFFERENT LEVELS.

THE HARVEST IS PLENTY.

LEVERS ARE FEW.

SO WE NEED RESOURCES OUT THERE.

AND JOINING US NOW ARE WTW NEWS INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER NICK BLUMBERG AND FROM BLOCK CLUB, CHICAGO INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER RACHEL HINTON.

YOU GUYS WORKED ON THE STORY TOGETHER.

SO RACHEL.

>> YOU MENTIONED THE PEACE AT CTA ISN'T FOCUSING AS MUCH ON ENFORCEMENT AS IT ONCE DID.

WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE?

YES, OR MOVE AWAY FROM ENFORCEMENT NOW MEANS THAT INSTEAD OF SOMEONE BEING TICKETED OR ARRESTED FOR BEING HOMELESS ON THE TRAIN AND USING IT FOR SHELTER.

>> NOW THE CTA IS FOCUSING ON ENFORCING ITS CODE OF CONDUCT, WHICH INCLUDES PROHIBITING PEOPLE FROM RIDING CONTINUOUSLY.

BUT WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE CALLED INTO POTENTIALLY TALK TO OR TRY TO REMOVE THE PERSON FROM THE TRAIN, THEY'RE CONNECTED TO OUTREACH SERVICES RATHER THAN BEING ARRESTED OR TICKETED OR SOMETHING OF THAT NICK, WHAT ARE THE AGENCY'S OVERALL GOALS HERE?

WELL, THEY HAVE A LOT OF METRICS THAT THEY PROVIDED A SEAT HE IS LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SHELTERING ON THE SYSTEM.

THAT NUMBER COMES FROM THE ANNUAL POINT-IN-TIME COUNT OF HOMELESSNESS.

>> HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GETTING PLACED IN A SHELTER OR IN PERMANENT HOUSING.

MORE BROADLY, JUST THE OVERALL NUMBER OF ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN OUTREACH WORKERS AND FOLKS SHELTERING ON THE SYSTEM.

YOU KNOW, FEEDBACK FROM CTA CUSTOMERS.

WE HEARD THAT CLEARLY A CONCERN FOR THE AGENCY, BUT THEY NOTED THAT THIS IS THE FIRST FULL WINTER OF THE PILOT PROGRAM.

SO RIGHT NOW, THEIR MAIN FOCUS IS ON THE OVERALL ENGAGEMENT, MAKING SURE TEAMS ARE OUT THERE DOING THIS WORK REGULARLY.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE SET NUMBERS THEY COULD PROVIDE FOR THOSE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF METRICS.

YET THEY SAID THE ULTIMATE GOAL, THOUGH, IS GOING TO CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ACROSS ALL THOSE