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    1. Management

    CTA signs agreement for expanded social services outreach

    Nov. 19, 2024
    The outreach program initially launched in January of last year but has been extended by the CTA because of the reported positive impact it has had on the community.
    Related To: Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)

    The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has entered into a two-year agreement with the city of Chicago's Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS), which manages the city's overall homelessness outreach, to continue providing expanded outreach and support for riders who are unsheltered, as well as those grappling with mental health and substance abuse. 

    “This program has quickly proven to be invaluable to not only those receiving the outreach services and care provided, but also for our riders – as it has always been our goal to provide everyone with a safe and comfortable transit riding experience,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “We recognize the impact this investment is making on hundreds of people’s lives, and we are pleased to be able to continue this agreement with DFSS and help address this larger, societal issue.” 

    The Chicago Transit Board unanimously approved the measure during its monthly meeting after seeing the continued positive impact the investment has been making since the pilot began in January 2023, which includes: 

    • More than 17,580 interactions by outreach engagement teams across the Blue and Red lines and stations with unhoused riders since the start of the contract through September 2024. 
    • Connected 104 people to housing and successfully facilitated 240 shelter placements from the CTA Red and Blue Line trains between January 2023 through September 2024. 
    • 20 clients were housed via an Accelerated Moving Event (AME) on CTA in April 2024 
    • 19 clients were housed through a CTA specific AME in July 2023. 
    • 64 people who were supported by the CTA outreach teams have exited from homelessness to other stable or permanent housing destinations outside of the AME process.  

    Per the terms of the agreement, CTA will allocate up to $2 million annually for outreach teams to continue their daily deployments on the rail system, largely targeting the Red and Blue lines, which are 24/7. The outreach teams offer connections to support services, healthcare and housing resources (when available), as well as harm reduction personal care materials, and sustenance. 

    Each year, the city of Chicago conducts the Point in Time Count to estimate the number of people experiencing homelessness throughout the city on a given night each January. In 2024, there were nearly 19,000 individuals counted. Among this group, more than 1,600 individuals were experiencing unsheltered homelessness – 46 percent of which (or ~751 individuals) were counted on CTA.