Nithya Raman, a candidate for Los Angeles mayor and an endorsed member of the Democratic Socialists of America's Los Angeles chapter (DSA-LA), is planning to demolish her 1,879-square-foot home in Silver Lake and replace it with a 3,528-square-foot residence, an 88% increase in living space. This development has drawn criticism from those who point to a perceived contradiction between her personal housing expansion and her political platform, which emphasizes housing affordability.
Raman, who has been a member of DSA-LA since before her 2020 City Council campaign, received the organization's mayoral endorsement on September 2. DSA-LA's platform advocates for the de-commodification of housing and includes calls for the government to "expropriate privately owned housing."
Critics highlight that while Raman is pursuing a significant upgrade to her privately owned property, which she is legally entitled to do, her political alignment with DSA-LA suggests a different approach to housing for the broader community. This has led to accusations of hypocrisy, with the argument that Raman applies one standard to her own property and advocates for a different approach concerning others' property.
Raman has described Los Angeles' housing affordability crisis as "the compounding moral crisis of our time." Her current home, a three-bedroom, 2.5-bath hillside residence, features hardwood floors, wood-beamed ceilings, a gourmet kitchen, walk-in closets, a deck, and panoramic views. It is also listed as a contributing property in the Silver Lake Residential Historic District.
Despite the features of her current home, Raman's plan involves nearly doubling its size. The author of the source material notes that while socialists are permitted to own homes, the contradiction lies in embracing private property rights for her own benefit while aligning with an organization whose housing agenda targets private ownership. This is framed not merely as a policy inconsistency but as a potential values issue, particularly given that housing is a central theme of Raman's mayoral campaign.
Los Angeles already provides an official residence for its mayor, Getty House, located in Windsor Square. The source material speculates that Raman might be hedging her bets, potentially planning to profit from her upgraded home if she loses the election, or using it as an investment if she wins and moves into the official mayoral residence.
As voters consider Raman's candidacy, the juxtaposition of her personal housing plans and her political affiliations is presented as a significant point of consideration.