New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Los Angeles Mayor-elect Nithya Raman are facing criticism for their approaches to homelessness, with detractors citing policy decisions and a perceived lack of empathy as individuals in their cities suffer from exposure and city resources are strained.
In New York City, the unclaimed bodies of nine homeless individuals who died during the unusually cold winter of 2025-2026 were laid to rest at St. Thomas Church. Mayor Mamdani's absence from the funeral was noted by critics, who argue his administration's policies contributed to the deaths. The New York Post reported that Mamdani's policy of allowing homeless encampments to persist and only offering indoor shelter as a "last resort" was in contrast to his inaugural pledge to protect marginalized New Yorkers. During that winter, 18 homeless individuals in total are reported to have frozen to death.
Sculptor Rhonda Roland Shearer is credited with arranging the funeral for the unclaimed deceased, providing a measure of dignity. The article suggests Mamdani's absence may stem from a reported sensitivity to criticism since taking office, or a lack of prioritization, citing concerns about his focus on social media and large budget proposals for homeless services.
Mamdani's administration has proposed spending $4.2 billion on homeless services for fiscal year 2027, an amount exceeding the city's peak expenditure during the migrant crisis. This approach is compared to that of Los Angeles Mayor-elect Nithya Raman.
Raman, who previously chaired the LA City Council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee, is criticized for her association with what the article terms the "homeless-industrial complex," a network of nonprofits allegedly benefiting disproportionately from tax dollars. Concerns are raised about alleged fraud within these organizations, including instances of theft totaling millions of dollars, reportedly used for personal gain rather than services.
A specific program championed by Raman is cited, where nearly $63 million was allocated for a housing initiative that reportedly housed only three households. Further scrutiny of LA's homeless agency revealed it was barred from federal grants due to its failure to verify nearly 2,300 housing sites, many of which had inactive contracts. This period saw an increase in LA's homeless population, rising by 3.4% to 45,194 as of this summer, according to the report.
Raman also voted against a recent law aimed at banning homeless encampments in public spaces such as beaches and pedestrian tunnels. The article posits that these policies represent indifference disguised as compassion, arguing that individuals struggling with addiction and mental illness require treatment and, in some cases, intervention, rather than continued exposure.
The criticism extends to the perceived hypocrisy of politicians who advocate for such policies while reportedly seeking to avoid encampments near their own residences, as suggested by an incident involving a fake encampment near Raman's home. The article concludes that regardless of climate, the policies of Mamdani and Raman are seen as "cold" by their critics.