Los Angeles council member Nithya Raman faces sharp criticism over homeless committee removal

Imelda Padilla, running for Los Angeles City Council District 6, publicly attacked Nithya Raman’s leadership of the Housing and Homelessness Committee, describing her months as the chair as the council’s most unproductive period. Padilla claimed Raman was removed due to an inability to act, asserting that the homeless crisis requires decisive leadership rather than “all talk and no action.” Raman countered on Instagram, suggesting the removal was retaliation by Mayor Karen Bass’s top ally because of her mayoral campaign.

The Bass campaign’s spokesperson, Alex Stack, echoed the criticism, noting Raman’s cancellation of meetings, absence from votes, and a $60 million program that yielded only three apartments. The controversy intensifies as the city now has more homeless residents than at the start of Bass’s mayoralty, highlighting ongoing political infighting over how to address the issue.