On Tuesday, May 5, Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman released a campaign video on X promising to tackle the city’s homelessness crisis if elected mayor. She said she would “cut tents and encampments in half by the Olympics” and provide housing for unhoused residents before her first term ends. However, netizens reacting to her announcement appear unconvinced.
In the video, Raman described homelessness as “the most painful crisis facing Los Angeles right now” and said it was one of the reasons she first ran for office. She argued that the city’s current approach of only moving encampments from one block to another has failed to solve the issue. “It’s an incredibly expensive game of sidewalk shuffle, and it is just not a solution. It’s political theater,” she said.
Raman pointed to her own district as proof that a different approach could work. According to her, the 4th district has seen a 54% reduction in tents and encampments over a three-year period after resources were focused on areas such as parks and schools. She promised to take that approach citywide if elected mayor, saying, “It’s not okay for anyone to be sleeping on the sidewalk in the world’s richest country. But this is not inevitable. We can fix it.”
Netizens React to Raman’s Homelessness Plan
In the comments under the video, many people are treating the council member’s promise with skepticism. Some have gone as far as to question her credibility.
One person said, “Why do you simply lie? You and Bass had each other’s backs. You may care, but you have shown that current leadership is incompetent. Even your attempt at teamwork sucks.” Another commented, “No one believes you. Having someone like you in office would be a net negative not only for the city and county of Los Angeles but for the whole country.”
Someone else wrote, “You did absolutely nothing just like everyone else in your admin why should anyone trust you?” A different X user added, “You’re in office already and you just made the problem worse.”
Some responses were even more critical. “Why haven’t you fixed it before this??? Lies lies lies,” one netizen remarked. Another asked, “How can you bash current policy when you’re one of the policy makers?” A third chimed in, “Stop insulting us with more lies. You are vile.”
The Los Angeles mayoral primary is scheduled for June 2, with Karen Bass seeking reelection and Spencer Pratt among the candidates drawing considerable attention.
