5.4: Homelessness in transit settings

Overview & Synopsis

Many in homelessness seek shelter on transit vehicles, at transit stations, and in transit facilities. Surveys find that homelessness is prevalent on public transport, with especially high concentrations on larger systems and at central nodes. In regions with detailed counts, cold-climate cities and those with 24/7 service have reported over 60% of their unsheltered population found on transit vehicles or stops some years. However, data on homelessness on transit is patchwork at best. Almost all US transit agencies find homelessness a challenge, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who shelter on transit are more likely to be homeless for at least a year and more structurally disadvantaged than their unhoused peers elsewhere. People experiencing homelessness do not just use transit for shelter: transit is the mode most commonly reported among studies of how unhoused people travel. Transit operators are increasingly recognizing that serving the unhoused population is part of their responsibility.