While I agree, that shouldn't be the TTCs job. Having TTC hire a team of social workers to subsidize specific individuals is an extremely inefficient use of funds.
The social workers the TTC and hiring are endeavouring to connect people w/those organizations you mention below; to connect people with housing, with mental health services and so on. To me it makes immense sense to be trying to achieve a complete resolution when dealing w/someone.
What you don't want is the TTC simply ousting them on to the street with or without having written a ticket; and then they're either suffering outside w/o the help they need or they just get back on the system on different route or at a different station.
Far better to direct those funds toward organizations which already have those social workers. These organizations can give out single-trip fares or monthly passes as they find necessary.
Absolutely disagree; we already do this; and its a complete and abysmal failure.
Why? Because it pre-supposes that people know that help is available; where to find it, and have the ID and other resources necessary to access it. As a result a very low percentage of qualifying individuals ever access that assistance.
This is why universal programs are better whenever practical. In the case of the TTC that means a lower fare for adults and fare-capping, but also eliminating age-based concessions; for the ultra-poor, the thing they need is money, so they can prioritize housing/food/phone/transit; When Ontario Works is a meagre $733 per month all-in; and ODSP a bit over $1,200 per month; neither providing enough to rent a room in Toronto, let alone pay for food or transit; the problem is clear.
Giving out a token here, a Presto Card there, much like Museum passes, or special internet rates for low-income people; what you do is is serve only a small portion of those in need; you serve only the very specific niches you target; and you do so at extraordinary cost by providing more cumbersome administration and bureaucracy.