Why CTA and Chicago outreach programs to combat homelessness come up short

The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services grieves with the community at the loss of four people on the CTA Monday morning. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and their friends during this difficult time.

While not all involved in this tragic incident were unhoused, this situation highlights a growing concern among this vulnerable population. Beyond the assumptions, stereotypes and statistics, these people were unique individuals with their own stories. Their lives mattered, and they were loved.

We know that people experiencing homelessness are more likely to experience violence, be Black and older in age. According to a report released by the Illinois Department of Public Health this year, people experiencing homelessness have “a higher prevalence of assault-related injuries” and are almost three times more likely to be murdered compared to other residents of Illinois.

Disturbingly, some people are targets of violence because they are homeless. We cannot forget people like Joseph Kromelis, known as the “Walking Man,” who died after a brutal attack where he was set on fire while he slept on lower Wabash Avenue in December 2022.

Housing insecurity and homelessness are not moral failings but symptoms of systemic issues like poverty, lack of affordable housing, racism, insufficient supports for veterans and lack of accessible health care. It's time to shift perspective and recognize that homelessness is not a choice but a complex issue that will take financial commitment to solve.

The Chicago Transit Authority invests $2 million annually to expand homeless outreach efforts on both 24/7 CTA train lines, the Red and the Blue Lines, and to engage and support more unsheltered individuals spending time on the trains.

Outreach teams include qualified, trained workers who build trust with potential clients and provide transportation to shelter and assessments so that people receiving services can get connected to housing. They also offer social services and supports, such as food and referrals to services (including mental health and detox support).

The Department of Family and Support Services and the CTA meet with these outreach delegate agencies monthly to discuss progress and implement solutions on the ground. Across both the Blue and the Red Lines with teams riding the trains 14 to 16 hours a day, outreach workers had a total of 7,800 interactions with people experiencing unsheltered homelessness last year.

Between January 2023 through July 2024, the CTA-funded outreach partnership with Family and Support Services has connected 88 people to housing and successfully facilitated 220 shelter placements from CTA Red and Blue Line trains.

Eighteen clients housed were from a CTA-specific accelerated moving event in April 2024, and 19 housed clients were from a CTA-specific accelerated moving event in July 2023. Accelerated moving events are events where clients are able to complete several steps of the housing process at once, including looking at available units and filling out applications.

An additional 51 people who were supported by the CTA outreach teams have exited homelessness for other stable or permanent housing destinations, outside of the accelerated moving event process.

As stewards of public resources, it is our responsibility to take steps to protect Chicago’s most vulnerable. We want the public to know there are programs in place to do this — there are just not enough resources to respond at scale.

This is why the Department of Family and Support Services and Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration continue to advocate for more investments in safe, dignified shelter, affordable housing, services to prevent and end homelessness, and to bring people inside.

Homelessness is a pressing crisis that requires an urgent investment, despite a lack of public funds.

We know housing is the answer. We must come together as a society to address the root causes of homelessness and to prioritize the safety and well-being of all individuals, regardless of their circumstances.

Brandie V. Knazze is commissioner of the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services.

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