Long Beach
Office of the Mayor

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LONG BEACH, CA — A delegation of Long Beach and Los Angeles County leaders and staff visited Philadelphia on August 10 & 11^th, 2023 to learn from the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and how they are addressing homelessness on their transit system. The delegation included Supervisor Janice Hahn, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, LA County CEO Homeless Initiative’s Ashlee Oh, LA Metro Homeless Initiatives’ Director Craig Joyce, LA Metro Director Jacqueline Dupont-Walker and LA City Deputy Mayor Randall Winston.

The purpose of the visit was to explore new ways to address homelessness along the Blue Line in Long Beach. The delegation met with SEPTA board members, directors, outreach workers, and partners to learn about their best practices, challenges, and successes in engaging with homeless individuals and connecting them to services and housing.

One of the highlights include a visit to the Hub of Hope, a facility located in a former subway concourse that provides a safe and welcoming space for homeless people to access showers, laundry, medical care, case management, and housing referrals.

The delegation also toured SEPTA’s bus, train, and trolley services, which serve about 900,000 riders per day. SEPTA has a dedicated team of outreach workers who engage with homeless riders on a daily basis and offer them assistance and resources. As a result of their efforts, SEPTA has seen 35% decline in the point-in-time homeless counts on their system.

The Long Beach and LA County leaders expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to learn from SEPTA and their partners. The visit was an example of cross-city collaboration and learning that can benefit both regions.

“One of the biggest challenges we face on Metro is how to better engage people experiencing homelessness on our system and get them the help and housing they need. I appreciate SEPTA for hosting us and walking us through their innovative and compassionate approach to addressing the challenges they face in Philadelphia,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “I am hopeful we can use some of what we learned from SEPTA on our own Metro system.”

“This visit was an eye-opening experience for me, ‘’said Mayor Rex Richardson. “I was impressed by how SEPTA works with their partners, like Project Home and the ‘Hub for Hope’ to provide holistic services for homeless riders. The goal is to learn from some of their strategies and integrate best practices into our own systems.”

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About Mayor Richardson: Rex Richardson is a husband, father, and the 29th Mayor of Long Beach.

Mayor Richardson’s history in Long Beach is grounded in empowering communities to have a seat at the table. He believes that everyone, no matter their circumstance, deserves the opportunity to thrive. He works to change the culture of city hall to be smarter, more inclusive, and more responsive to the needs of our neighborhoods, businesses, and families while ensuring an equitable future for all.