Nithya Raman may be campaigning heavily on homelessness – but her actions on the issue inside City Hall have come to a complete stop … and her opponent, Spencer Pratt is blasting her for it.
For months, Raman has built her mayoral run around Los Angeles’ biggest crisis, promising to slash unsheltered homelessness by at least 50% before the 2028 Olympics and shake up a ”broken” system.
But Raman’s desire on the campaign trail is not matched by what’s happening on The City Council Homelessness and Housing Committee she chairs, where she’s cancelled four of the last eight meetings since announcing her run in February.
Even worse, every meeting in the last five weeks has been cancelled, creating a growing log jam of homelessness and housing proposals worth hundreds of millions.
Independent challenger Spencer Pratt blasted Raman on Friday, saying she has lost focus while chasing higher office.
“Of course she’s not doing her job. She’s checked out already,” Pratt told The California Post.
“She has no roots in LA. She didn’t step foot here until 2013, long after its peak, so she neither knows how, nor cares to fix the city,” Pratt said.
“Nithya’s the reason the homeless problem is so bad.”
Records reviewed by The California Post show the backlog stretches far beyond routine city business.
Stalled items include proposals for greater scrutiny of homelessness spending, a restructuring of the City’s governance system, greater oversight of Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority contracts, and reports of safety concerns at shelters tied to mental health crises and substance abuse.
Reviews of Mayor Karen Bass’ signature Inside Safe program, including participant data, locations and operations, also remain parked.
Raman’s office denied work on homelessness work had stalled, arguing recent scheduling disruptions were due to the budget season, rather than inaction.
“Under Councilmember Raman’s leadership, the Housing and Homelessness Committee has operated with urgency, meeting more frequently than any other Council committee on a weekly and biweekly basis to advance action on the city’s homelessness crisis,” Raman’s office told The California Post.
Her office claimed clashes with the Budget Committee, where three of the five committee members also serve, means there’s not been enough present to meet quorum.
The backlog means many of the reforms she’s actually proposing on the campaign trail are being stalled.
The committee slowdown has become fresh ammunition in the mayoral race.
Raman has promised to cut unsheltered homelessness by half before the Olympics though rental subsidies, tougher oversight and a shift away from Bass’ Inside Safe strategy, which uses hotels.
But critics increasingly argue there is a widening gap between campaign promises and committee action.
That tension burst back into public view during this week’s city budget negotiations when Councilmember Monica Rodriguez introduced a budget item requiring the Mayor’s Office to report on whether resources from Inside Safe, Mayor Karen Bass’ signature and costly homelessness program, are being distributed equitably across Los Angeles.
Rodriguez said the proposal would create taxpayer safeguards and accountability measures if the city misses performance benchmarks.
“One of my concerns has always been how Inside Safe has been distributed across the city,” Rodriguez told the Post after the budget vote. “I haven’t seen equitable distribution across all council districts.”
Rodriguez said the proposal could redirect up to 25% of program funding if benchmarks are missed and argued those conversations should have already been advancing through committee.
“Sadly, Nithya Raman has continued to sit on any advancements of homelessness reform and our spending,” Rodriguez said.
“We are still sitting on a number of motions that are not advanced.”
When asked about the canceled meetings, Rodriguez didn’t hold back.
“It’s shameful,” she said. “Anyone who would be grandstanding and having a sense of urgency to address homelessness would be canceling meetings that help advance an agenda to actually reform homeless spending and how we approach it in the city of Los Angeles.”
“There are a number of initiatives and proposals languishing without thoughtful movement,” she added.
“It’s embarrassing and frankly contradictory.”
A request for comment from Raman’s office was not immediately returned.
