BART’s focused approach to addressing the homelessness crisis
It is our job to help ensure the safety, security, comfort and convenience of all those who use BART.
The national homelessness crisis can be visible in BART stations and on trains as unhoused people use BART for shelter. Increasing rates of homelessness and related quality-of-life issues on BART present us with unique challenges as a transit system, and highlight a pressing need for action and understanding from us, our riders, and our partner agencies in the communities we serve.
All riders are expected to pay the fare and follow our Passenger Code of Conduct adopted by our Board of Directors to ensure that any one person doesn’t adversely affect others using or operating the system. The Passenger Code of Conduct is based on common courtesy, and most all violations of the Passenger Code of Conduct are also a criminal violation.
In 2020, BART spent $16 million to address Quality of Life issues in the system. This includes homelessness and encampment response, extra cleaning requirements, and increased safety and security measures.
BART Strategic Homelessness Action Plan
For the first time in its 50-year history BART has developed a Homeless Action Plan. It outlines the state of homelessness in the Bay Area, potential funding sources BART will pursue to increase outreach, and the need for local governments to work together with public transit to address a challenge that impacts the entire region. The Homeless Action Plan was presented to the BART Board in January 2023.
The Homeless Action Plan was developed by BART's Senior Manager of Social Services Partnerships. BART created the Senior Manager of Social Services Partnerships position as part of the agency’s efforts to increase resources to help address homelessness within the system and connect people to resources. The Senior Manager of Social Services Partnerships focuses on designing, implementing, and overseeing programs to address homelessness and related issues within the BART system. The position serves as the top advisor for the General Manager and the Board of Directors on matters related to homelessness and the health and social welfare of BART riders.
BART’s Senior Manager of Social Services Partnerships works directly with BART’s Supervisors of Crisis Intervention, who are responsible for providing outreach regarding services to the unsheltered population in the BART system with housing and/or mental health issues. The senior manager also works closely with the BART Police Department to ensure all programs are in alignment with the Progressive Policing policies.
The creation of the Senior Manager of Social Services Partnerships position is one of many new initiatives being implemented to bolster BART’s progressive policing efforts and finding new solutions that don’t rely on armed police. The action plan also calls for BART to hire 20 crisis intervention specialists and to continue the Transit Ambassador Program. The plan is based on extensive stakeholder engagement that included public meetings in all nine BART districts.
Stakeholder Engagement for Advancing Progressive Policing
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT through the 2020-2021 budget, the District commits to undertake a rigorous stakeholder process on new approaches that emphasize responding to homelessness, behavioral health and substance use without relying on armed police. This effort answers public calls to dramatically change how BART addresses these societal problems in our system. The Board and the General Manager will jointly lead this effort to develop recommendations for staffing and funding services that do not require sworn personnel.
On January 14, 2021 the Board was presented with the results of the stakeholder outreach process lead by "Be The Change", recommendations and BART's response.
The action plan calls for the implementation of crisis intervention teams, the development of a districtwide homelessness action plan, and a redeployment strategy to place more officers onboard trains. The plan is based on extensive stakeholder engagement that took place in 2020 and included public meetings in all nine BART districts.
Survey results:
External Stakeholders
Internal Stakeholders
Open Survey on bart.gov
Random Sample
We are working on a variety of measures to tackle these issues and just as important help those in need.
Connect People to Resources
- Deploying our full-time Crisis Intervention Training Coordinator and Community Outreach Liaison to seek out unhoused individuals with the goal of connecting people to services by providing vital referral services. This position brings expertise to BART on the complex issues related to homelessness.
- Actively making contacts with individuals to develop a relationship and needs assessment. These contacts have allowed BART to successfully reunite individuals with family members willing to provide housing or other local housing resources.
- Assisting those in crisis and transporting the individual to a mental health facility, detox, or hospital. All BART officers undergo crisis intervention training.
- Sending our outreach expert and BART Police on early morning trains headed to the end of the line to make contacts with those sleeping on the trains.
Homeless Outreach Teams
BART currently has partnerships with homeless outreach teams in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties.
These partnerships have been beneficial to all BART riders, and have been a tremendous resource to unhoused BART riders.
Last year, between our Crisis Intervention Specialists and BART’s homeless outreach teams, there were over 2,300 contacts made to unhoused riders and individuals in a mental health crisis.
Clean Bathrooms
BART helps fund the San Francisco Public Works' Pit Stop Program provides clean and safe public toilets, as well as used-needle receptacles and dog waste stations, in the City's most impacted neighborhoods. The restroom units have running water, soap and hand towels, and are maintained by on-site attendants to a high standard. There are currently Pit Stop bathrooms above four BART stations (Powell St. Station, Civic Center Station, 16th and Mission St. Station and 24th and Mission St. Station).
Elevator Attendants
The Elevator Attendant Program was launched on April 30, 2018 and has been renewed subsequently to address sanitation and safety and security issues in the BART station elevators. Attendants are in the street and platform elevators at Civic Center, Powell St., Montgomery and Embarcadero stations during BART operating hours. This program has virtually eliminated inappropriate behavior in the elevators. The attendants greet customers, operate the elevator, collect data on the number of users and their demographics and deter inappropriate behavior in the elevator. The program has been very popular with BART customers, particularly those dependent on the elevators.
In July 2019 the Board of Directors approved a contract to continue working with Urban Alchemy, formerly Hunters Point Family, to expand this successful program to Embarcadero and Montgomery starting in fall 2019.
The elevators are used by an average of 60,000 individuals per month.
Welfare Checks
Call BART Police at 510-464-700 or download and use the BARTwatch app if you’re concerned that someone is unwell or in need of a welfare check. We will take the report submitted through your phone and dispatch an officer or team member to check on the person. Examples of this can include people who are visibly intoxicated, people who have soiled themselves, or people experiencing a mental health crisis. Please keep in mind, someone sleeping on a train who appears to be homeless does not violate any laws and dispatch will need more clarifying information to deploy an officer and hold a train.
Notify a Station Agent or BART employee if you are concerned about a patron’s behavior in a station.
Resources for the Unhoused
Bay Area Wide:
The United Way’s 211 service connects residents in Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, Napa, Solano and Santa Clara counties with health and human service programs in their local community. Simply dial 2-1-1 or visit www.211bayarea.org to receive 24/7, free and confidential assistance in multiple languages.
Alameda County:
- Those who are having a housing crisis or in need of other support in Alameda or Contra Costa counties can dial 2-1-1, which is a toll free phone number that provides free and confidential information and referrals on housing, health and social services.
Contra Costa County:
There are multiple ways to access homeless services in Contra Costa County:
- CALL: 211 or text 898211 for 24/7 free, confidential assistance. Callers will be matched and referred to appropriate programs.
- CORE: The Coordinated Outreach Referral, Engagement (C.O.R.E.) program works to engage and stabilize unhoused individuals living outside through consistent outreach to facilitate and/or deliver health and basic need services and secure permanent housing.
City and County of San Francisco:
- The newly formed Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing brings together housing and homeless services throughout the city. Those in a housing crisis can dial 3-1-1 and reserve emergency housing for up to 90 days. Assistance is available both in English and Spanish. The Department also offers veteran assistance, long term housing programs, hygiene supplies, clothing, crisis intervention, medical and mental health care and drug prevention programs.
- The San Francisco Homeless Resource website offers a comprehensive directory of services for the homeless. It is a collaborative website for homeless advocates, providers, government, and others in San Francisco
San Mateo County:
- The county’s Human Services Agency offers emergency safety net assistance. There are eight Core Service Agencies within the county that work with the agency to provide individuals and families with basic emergency and support services to stabilize their living situations.