For Homeless Cyclists, Bikes Bring an Escape From the Streets

Through a collaborative effort between the Jefferson Center, the community mental health center for Jefferson County, and RTD train stations, those experiencing homelessness are receiving help. RTD hosts a homeless navigator that connects people at bus and train stations to mental health centers. The collaboration also links those in need with shelters, a hot meal, or even needle-exchange programs.

The coronavirus pandemic drastically reduced the ridership of the Monterey-Salinas Transit District, so the system shifted services to help the mostly rural community it serves. Despite cash-flow problems, unused drivers and vehicles helped Meals on Wheels deliver 8,000 meals to seniors and persons with disabilities, wi-fi-enabled commuter buses parked in rural areas to provide hot spots for students, and the system donated unused vehicles to groups serving veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and at-risk youth. The system continues to adjust to rapidly changing circumstances.

Homes for All Veterans, a program within the nonprofit Rocky Mountain Human Services, recently began training volunteers to walk the city's streets in search of homeless veterans, with the goal of effectively eliminate veteran homelessness by the end of the year. If successful, advocates say the push to end veteran homelessness could be the first step in addressing the city's larger, chronically homeless population.

The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas and its subsidiary Building Health act as safety nets for uninsured people experiencing homelessness by expanding the definition of healthcare to also include housing, serving about 85,000 people a year. By providing wraparound care and services from help finding housing to legal assistance and education, the groups’ combined efforts helped shrink the rate of uninsured, unhoused people from 16% in 2020 to about 12% now.

The Denver Basic Income Project provided people experiencing homelessness with no-strings-attached monthly stipends that they could spend however they’d like. At the end of the pilot, twice as many participants were in stable housing, more of them were working full time, and the nights that participants spent in shelters decreased by half.

The Hilda L. Solis Care First Village provides temporary housing and support services for people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles with the goal of transitioning them into permanent housing. Residents get a private room with a TV and a shower and share other facilities like kitchens and laundry rooms.

Fort Lewis is the only Colorado college tackling the student homelessness crisis with a rapid rehousing program. The school’s basic needs administrator works with students experiencing homelessness to get them in temporary housing within 24 hours and permanent housing with financial assistance as quickly as possible.

Back on My Feet helps people experiencing homelessness and substance use through the power of exercise, specifically running. Participants have ran more than 950,000 miles and 70% of them have found employment and housing. Moreover, participating in the group helps people in need find a sense of community and build a support system.

Athens’ poverty rate is 28.8%, making it difficult for some locals to afford cars and other means of transportation. BikeAthens donates bikes to those in need, hosts “Fix Your Own Bike Nights” and teaches classes on bike safety and how to ride to provide residents with an accessible means of transportation. The nonprofit donates about 100-120 bikes each year.

School districts in Washington State are required to identify students experiencing homelessness and enroll them into a state program in which the district pays for the students' transportation and covers the cost of other necessities with allotted federal funds.