By: Mayor Rex Richardson, City of Long Beach
Kenneth A. McDonald, President and CEO of Long Beach Transit
Today, California stands at a pivotal moment in its climate policy. The effort underway in Sacramento to reauthorize the Cap-and-Trade program is more than an environmental imperative—it’s a lifeline for cities like Long Beach striving to meet housing goals, uplift vulnerable populations, and advance equity through smart urban planning and public transit improvements.
The Cap-and-Trade program, a cornerstone of California’s climate strategy, generates billions in revenue by requiring major polluters to purchase emission allowances, effectively placing a cost on carbon. The true power of this policy lies in how these funds are reinvested—fueling initiatives that not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also serve as catalysts for job creation, equity and opportunity. Long Beach is a shining example of what’s possible when environmental and community goals converge.
In the heart of Long Beach, more than $2.4 million in funding made possible through Cap-and-Trade is helping bring Anchor Place to life. This 120-unit affordable housing project has a bold and compassionate vision. Designed to serve veterans and individuals experiencing homelessness, Anchor Place serves as more than a roof overhead. It is a refuge, a stabilizing force, a launchpad for healthier futures, and a connection to public transit linking residents to jobs, education, and essential services.
This development directly tackles one of our city’s most acute challenges: the severe shortage of permanent supportive housing. Veterans and homeless residents often face insurmountable barriers to securing housing and critical services. Anchor Place bridges these gaps, offering not just shelter but comprehensive support systems that promote recovery, dignity, and reintegration into society.
At the same time, Anchor Place aligns perfectly with California’s climate and housing goals—it’s transit-oriented, designed to reduce vehicle emissions, and situated to encourage walking, biking, and public transit use. The ripple effects extend far beyond its walls.
The Cap-and-Trade program also powers essential upgrades to Long Beach Transit, recognizing that a truly sustainable future must be accessible to all. With continued funding, Long Beach Transit is expanding zero-emission bus fleets, reducing harmful pollution, and creating cleaner air for residents, especially in neighborhoods historically overburdened by environmental hazards.
Expanded and more frequent service is crucial. It means everyone can get to medical and personal appointments without delay. It means workers from underserved areas can reach jobs across the city. It means students and seniors have independence and mobility. Better transit doesn’t just move people; it moves our communities forward.
Further investment, like those supported by our partners in the Climate Safe Infrastructure Coalition, will allow Long Beach to maintain this momentum, improving service reliability, connecting more neighborhoods, and encouraging public transportation as a first choice. It’s a smart, inclusive solution to overlapping challenges: traffic congestion, air pollution, climate change, and economic disparity.
California’s Cap-and-Trade investments reflect the understanding that housing, transportation, and climate policy must work together. Affordable housing in urban cores, near transit hubs, doesn’t just reduce sprawl—it shrinks carbon footprints, lowers utility bills, and makes sustainable living attainable for all income levels. In addition – it’s creating jobs. Each of these projects puts opportunity in the hands of people in labor. Allowing them to live and work within their home cities, creating opportunities and a sense of community.
Reauthorization isn’t just about preserving a program—it’s about preserving progress. It’s about sending a message that California will not retreat from innovation, compassion, or its commitment to climate justice.
Long Beach stands as a compelling argument for why Cap-and-Trade must endure. When policy is paired with purpose, when environmental goals meet human needs, the result is transformative. Anchor Place is proof. Long Beach Transit is proof.
Let’s support Cap-and-Trade investments in climate safe infrastructure and ensure the program continues to fund the kinds of multi-benefit, community-powered solutions that turn good intentions into lasting impact.
