Raman Faces City Hall Overhaul and Homelessness Deadline
Raman, who is set to take office next month, campaigned on changing how Los Angeles government works and reducing homelessness. Her plan aims to halve street homelessness by summer 2028 and end long-term encampments by the close of her first term, while a separate proposal calls for restructuring city departments and clarifying their responsibilities.
The homelessness goal comes as the city has more than 29,000 unsheltered residents, based on its latest count. Unsheltered homelessness fell about 11% from its 2023 peak under Mayor Karen Bass, but increased in the latest count. Raman has criticized Bass’s Inside Safe motel program as slow and expensive and proposes expanding rental subsidies and case management to move people into longer-term housing.
Inside Safe has placed 5,800 people in interim housing since late 2022, but 40% later became homeless again, data from the city’s homelessness agency show. Raman’s approach would move people from motel rooms within four months and provide subsidies and support for as long as two years. Bass’s team has called the plan unrealistic, arguing it depends on private landlords accepting tenants who have lived on the street.
The Olympics add pressure and uncertainty. Thousands of unhoused people near venues could be displaced by security zones, while local officials have yet to set out a plan for where they would go. A recent City Council motion asked staff to report on how the city would handle encampments near event sites. Experts described Raman’s target as ambitious, and noted that housing costs, income inequality and mental health challenges complicate efforts to meet it.
On city operations, a proposed restructuring would combine street services and transportation functions, break up the Department of Public Works, and move street lighting to the Department of Water and Power. The case for the changes is that overlapping duties and unclear accountability impede service and waste public money. Raman will face the task of turning both her organizational plans and homelessness pledge into results.
Raman’s Housing Pledge Puts Long-Term Solutions Ahead of Sweeps
Los Angeles mayor-elect Nithya Raman has set a demanding 2028 goal: cut street homelessness by half and clear persistent encampments before her first term concludes. The deadline matters, but the measure of success will be whether people find stable housing—not simply whether encampments disappear before the Olympics.
The city has more than 29,000 unsheltered residents. Homelessness declined about 11% from its 2023 peak during Mayor Karen Bass’s tenure, then rose in the latest count. Raman argues that the city should shift from Bass’s motel-centered Inside Safe program toward rental subsidies and case management that can help people move into longer-term homes.
Inside Safe has moved 5,800 people into interim housing since late 2022, but 40% returned to homelessness. Raman’s plan would limit motel stays to four months and expand subsidies and support for up to two years. Bass’s team has called the strategy unrealistic because it relies on private landlords renting to people who have been living on the street. That challenge is real, but it does not make a motel stay a lasting solution.
The Olympics could force thousands of people near venues from their current locations, with security perimeters still to be determined and no local plan yet for where they would go. A City Council motion has asked staff to report on the issue. Experts warn the goal is a stretch, while pointing to housing costs, income inequality and mental health needs as obstacles. The urgency of 2028 should be used to build durable options, not just move people out of sight.
Raman also faces calls to reorganize City Hall, including splitting up Public Works and consolidating street-lighting responsibilities. Clearer government may help deliver services, but the central test will be whether her administration can provide housing and support that keep people from returning to the streets.
Raman’s Homelessness Promise Faces a Costly Reality Check
Nithya Raman will take office as Los Angeles mayor next month with a promise to cut street homelessness by 50% before the 2028 Olympics. The pledge is bold, but the city’s record and the details of her plan raise a straightforward question: can it be delivered on time?
More than 29,000 people are unsheltered in Los Angeles. The number fell about 11% from its 2023 peak under Mayor Karen Bass, but increased in the latest count. Raman has attacked Bass’s Inside Safe motel program as too slow and costly, proposing that people move out of motels within four months and into housing with rental subsidies and case management.
Inside Safe has placed 5,800 people in interim housing since late 2022, and 40% have returned to homelessness. But Raman’s alternative depends on private landlords accepting tenants who have lived on the street. Bass’s team has called that unrealistic. Experts say the 50% target is a stretch, and the city has no additional funding identified for the Olympics-related challenge.
The Games may also displace thousands of unhoused people near venues if security zones cover where they live. Local officials have not yet explained where those people would go, although the City Council has asked staff to report on the issue. A deadline can focus attention, but it cannot by itself overcome the high cost of housing, mental health problems or the other barriers experts cite.
Raman is also being urged to restructure City Hall, including reorganizing Public Works and transferring street lighting to the Department of Water and Power. Streamlining departments may clarify who is responsible for services. But the mayor-elect’s success will depend on whether those changes—and a high-stakes homelessness promise—produce measurable results rather than another ambitious pledge that falls short.
Reported by New York Post, LAist.
