Los Angeles is splitting its homelessness committee and removing Nithya Raman after a $62.6 million housing effort placed just three households.
Los Angeles is splitting its homelessness committee and stripping Nithya Raman of the powerful post after years of frustration over the city’s homelessness response, including a $62.6 million housing initiative that ended up placing just three households. The move marks a major change in the city’s handling of the homelessness crisis and comes as Raman runs for mayor while defending her record.
City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson is dividing the Housing and Homelessness Committee Raman has led since 2023 as part of a leadership reshuffle. A letter announcing the change is set to go out later this week. Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado, a Democratic Socialists of America member who represents Council District 14, is expected to take over the newly separate homelessness committee. Her district includes Skid Row, downtown Los Angeles and Boyle Heights, areas long tied to the city’s largest concentration of homelessness.
The shift follows a stretch in which Raman’s committee was repeatedly unable to keep pace with the workload. More than 130 matters accumulated after every Housing and Homelessness Committee meeting over a five-week period in April and May was canceled. At the same time, a homelessness initiative Raman backed struggled badly, with city records showing that it housed just three households by June 25 even though the goal was to move roughly 2,000 people into permanent housing.
Another reform effort also sat untouched for months. A proposal from March 2024 that would have explored greater city control over homelessness programs waited 316 days before Raman’s committee finally took it up. The delays have intensified scrutiny of how Los Angeles is managing one of its most visible and politically sensitive problems.
“Los Angeles is splitting its homelessness committee and removing Nithya Raman after a $62.6 million housing effort placed just three households.”
The broader system has also come under federal pressure. The government suspended the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority from federal grant activity while investigating financial management, conflicts of interest and contract oversight. Federal investigators said LAHSA failed to verify nearly 2,300 housing sites it was responsible for overseeing, and about 70% of contracts connected to those sites showed no reported spending during the previous year.
Even so, Raman’s committee approved another $358 million for LAHSA in this year’s budget because City Hall still lacked the infrastructure to replace the agency. Raman has argued that the chaos only shows why the city needs more direct control. She has cast the issue as a test of leadership, saying the mayor’s job is to take charge of the system and deliver results.
The committee shake-up also lands at a difficult moment politically. Raman is challenging Mayor Karen Bass and making homelessness the centerpiece of her campaign. She is also running on a pledge to cut unsheltered homelessness citywide by at least 50% before the 2028 Olympics.
Los Angeles’ latest homeless count estimated 45,194 unhoused residents, up 3.4% from the year before, while unsheltered homelessness rose 7.9% to 29,115. With the city under pressure to show real progress, the committee change underscores how much is at stake in the fight over accountability, spending and control. For Americans watching urban homelessness and public spending, the next question is whether Los Angeles can finally turn plans into results.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Nithya Raman losing the chairmanship?
City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson is splitting the committee as part of a leadership reshuffle. The change comes amid scrutiny over stalled work and Raman’s Homelessness record.
Who is expected to lead the new homelessness committee?
Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado is expected to head the separate Homelessness committee. She represents Council District 14, which includes Skid Row, downtown Los Angeles and Boyle Heights.
What happened with the $62.6 million housing initiative?
City records showed the program had placed only three households by June 25, despite a goal of moving roughly 2,000 people into permanent housing.
What is happening with LAHSA?
The federal government suspended the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority from grant activity during an investigation into financial management, conflicts of interest and contract oversight.
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