Outreach teams offered services and housing information to Los Angeles County's homeless population throughout the Metro system this week.

The effort is a part of the Metro Homeless Action Plan created by the Los Angeles County Transportation Authority (Metro). Two "County-City-Community" (C3) teams were deployed to reach out to homeless individuals in Metro stations, buses, and trains and direct them to homeless services. Members of the C3 teams included nurses, mental health clinicians, substance abuse counselors, and former homeless individuals, among others who sought to help the homeless population in Los Angeles.

The 12-month deployment period is also part of a case study to evaluate the needs of homeless outreach through the Metro system. Metro plans to share the study's findings with other cities and county agencies addressing homelessness issues.

“Metro’s action plan provides the blueprint for our agency to align our efforts with the city and county of Los Angeles homeless plans and make certain that the homeless on the Metro system and properties receive the proper allocation of resources,” said Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington.

The C3 teams contacted 172 homeless individuals on the Metro Red Line this week, seven of whom went to local housing and six who were provided clothing vouchers. Four follow-up appointment tokens were given and five Coordinated Entry System applications to begin access to homeless services were completed.

C3 teams will continue to ride the Red, Gold, and Green lines five days per week between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Metro transit security guards will work graveyard shifts to guide team deployments daily. The next team to ride the lines is scheduled on Monday, June 5.