Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman is challenging Mayor Karen Bass’ claims regarding the effectiveness of her administration’s housing policies, particularly as Los Angeles has been identified as the least affordable major metro area in the United States. Raman, who is running against Bass in the upcoming November mayoral election, argues that the current administration has failed to make significant progress in addressing the city’s housing crisis, which affects thousands of residents struggling with high rental costs, as reported by Realtor.com.
Raman, affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America, contends that Mayor Bass has not adequately tackled the housing issues plaguing Los Angeles. She asserts that many Angelenos would agree that the mayor’s efforts have been insufficient in alleviating the ongoing crisis.
In response to criticism, Mayor Bass has defended her record, highlighting initiatives aimed at expediting the approval process for affordable housing projects. These initiatives include a historic rezoning program intended to create nearly 500,000 new homes by 2029, updates to rent stabilization rules, and streamlined building application reviews.
Despite these claims, the 2026 Realtor.com Metro Report Cards revealed that Los Angeles received an F grade, scoring the lowest in both affordability and homebuilding metrics among the 100 largest U.S. cities. The city scored just 12 out of 100 points, with an alarming affordability component score of only 0.9.
For a median-priced home in Los Angeles, currently valued at approximately $1.12 million, a typical resident would need to allocate nearly 85% of their income towards monthly mortgage payments, making homeownership unattainable for most. Raman expressed her lack of surprise at the city’s poor ranking, stating that the current policies have made it excessively difficult to build homes.
Challenges in Homebuilding
Raman emphasizes that the lack of meaningful homebuilding in Los Angeles is a significant contributor to the housing crisis, which experts attribute to a systemic shortage of supply. She criticizes the city’s approach to housing construction, suggesting that it is treated as a nuisance rather than a necessity.
Data from the Metro Report Cards indicates that Los Angeles has a permit-to-population ratio of just 0.47, meaning the number of homes being built is less than half the national average. Raman claims that current regulations effectively make it “functionally illegal” to construct affordable for-sale housing, with less than 10% of new homes being designated for sale.
If elected, Raman has pledged to triple the annual housing production by expediting the approval process, overhauling inspections, and advocating for reforms that would encourage developers to build more for-sale inventory.
Addressing Homelessness
Raman’s campaign also focuses on the interconnected issues of housing affordability and homelessness, with recent data indicating approximately 45,000 individuals living in encampments across Los Angeles. To highlight her commitment to addressing these challenges, Raman has collaborated with real estate figure Jason Oppenheim, known from the reality show “Selling Sunset.”
In a recent campaign video, Oppenheim acknowledged the frustrations surrounding current policies and expressed support for Raman’s efforts, particularly noting a significant reduction in homelessness in her district. Raman aims to cut citywide homelessness in half by the time the 2028 Summer Olympics are held in Los Angeles.
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