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Care-Based Approach, Connectivity to City, County Services Key to Meaningful Progress
Metro today announced a 57% decrease in the number of people experiencing homelessness on the transit system since 2024, the second consecutive year of significant progress. The 2026 point-in-time count found 31% fewer people experiencing homelessness in the transit system than the previous year. This year’s count estimates 395 to 517 unhoused individuals on Metro compared to 631 to 684 in 2025 and 1,041 to 1,092 in 2024. As the point-in-time count is not an exact census, it is reported as a range to account for any statistical margins of error.
The results underscore the effectiveness of Metro’s integrated public safety model, which combines compassionate, care-based services with coordinated law enforcement and security to improve safety, connect vulnerable individuals with housing and supportive services, and enhance the customer experience across the transit system.
“During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, many more unhoused people began to populate our Metro system,” said Metro Board Chair and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “Under the leadership of CEO Stephanie Wiggins and the Metro Board during my first term as Chair, we combined compassionate outreach with enhanced public safety strategies to get people housed with the services they need. These results prove that our approach is working and these efforts must continue.”
The latest point-in-time count builds on the momentum Metro has established through its innovative care-based approach to public safety. In January, Metro’s Department of Public Safety launched its Care-Based Services Division, bringing together Metro Ambassadors, the Homeless Outreach Management and Engagement (HOME) program, and Community Intervention Specialists under a single division within the Metro Public Safety Department.
“This continued decline reflects the dedication of Metro employees and our many partners who work every day to address homelessness with compassion, accountability and coordination,” said Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “Creating the Care-Based Services Division reinforced our belief that public safety is strongest when care-based services and enforcement work together. These results show that our model is making a real difference—for people experiencing homelessness and for the tens of thousands of customers who rely on Metro every day.”
Metro’s success continues to be driven by close collaboration with the Los Angeles County Department of Homeless Services & Housing, the City and County of Los Angeles, and community-based organizations that provide outreach, interim housing, permanent housing placement, and other supportive services. These partnerships ensure individuals encountered on the transit system have meaningful opportunities to transition from transit to appropriate care and housing. In fiscal year 2026, Metro’s outreach teams connected 354 individuals to permanent housing.
The Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count led by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) was conducted between January 20-22, with the Metro count taking place on January 20, 2026. 62 volunteers consisting of outreach workers, Metro employees and riders counted the rail and busway system in one evening. The counting methodology used for Metro is the same as the county-wide effort, developed by LAHSA and aligned with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standards. The Metro-specific results, which focused on stations, rights-of-way, and parking lots, were not included in LAHSA’s published regional total but provide an essential look at homelessness on the transit system.
About Metro
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is building the most ambitious transportation infrastructure program in the United States and is working to greatly improve mobility. Metro is the lead transportation planning and funding agency for L.A. County and carries nearly 1 million boardings daily on a fleet of 2,200 low-emission buses and six rail lines. Metro’s April 2026 Customer Experience Quarterly Pulse survey showed that customer satisfaction has risen to 87 percent.
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