Tackling the LA Metro homelessness problem

An outreach program that was started by LA Metro 5 years ago is now expanding to help with the homelessness issue taking over passenger cars.

LA Metro has been working with LA County's Housing for Health and numerous non-profits on creating and sending in teams, including mental health experts and outreach staff.

These members will be wearing purple vests and day after day they will be interacting with people who need their services.

Metro LA is now doubling the number of teams it is funding, adding an additional 8 people to help assist the homeless.

Mark Lewis, with PATH, has been serving the community for over 25 years and he explains why the issue hits close to home for him.

"My father died for his addiction and my sister was homeless so it will always be personal for me. When I see people struggling, I see my family," said Lewis.

Mark Lewis let us follow his group from a distance and we got to witness a couple different scenarios where they jumped in alongside officers to assist people having medical emergencies. 

"The streets are very hard, especially when you come for a job opportunity. the price for housing is expensive," said Jocelyn, one woman they helped.

Struggling people from across the country end up in the LA Metro transportation hub needing help and by the end of the day the team was able to make needed calls to get people metro rides back to their support systems.

Lewis also stumbled upon another woman named Cynthia. Not long ago, Cynthia agreed to put her name in a massive services database for a senior bed, which quickly became available and the program was able to help her get a ride to her new housing opportunity.

They have enrolled more than 13,000 people and put close to 4,000 people into interim housing so they are starting their journey to permanent housing.

Not only has the Metro Outreach Program been a way to make the train a safer place, but it has also been a way to rebuild the trust needed to help those who have been homeless.