Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a candidate for mayor, is facing criticism for the effectiveness and cost of her homelessness initiatives. Despite substantial investment, programs championed by Raman have been described as delivering results at a "glacial pace" or not at all.
A flagship program, the Time Limited Subsidy (TLS), which Raman has promoted as a more efficient alternative to motel shelters, has come under particular scrutiny. Launched as part of efforts to comply with court settlements regarding encampment clearances, the TLS program aims to move individuals into market-rate apartments with temporary rental assistance and case management. The City Council approved investment in September, with a redesigned version targeting 2,000 households approved in January and rolled out on March 1. As of late May, however, only three households had been placed in apartments. The cost for this limited progress was reported as $62.6 million, equating to over $20 million per household.
Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez stated that "one household a month is not a solution" and that the program "is not working." Rodriguez also contrasted the TLS program's slow pace with Mayor Karen Bass's Inside Safe program, which, despite its own challenges and higher per-person costs, has housed nearly 6,000 people since 2022 with an approximate cost of $391 million.
Beyond the TLS program, other initiatives overseen by Raman's committee have also faced criticism. Project Homekey, a large-scale housing effort, has reportedly left over 1,000 units vacant or offline years after acquisition, despite hundreds of millions in spending. Costs for maintenance and leases continue to accrue on these empty properties.
Furthermore, a $4,011,357 grant from the state Encampment Resolution Fund, secured by Raman nearly two years ago for dangerous encampments along a 19-mile stretch of the Los Angeles River, remained largely unspent as of late May 2026. The grant was intended for outreach, housing placements, and clearing tents. Raman's office attributed the delays to administrative and contracting issues.
These instances of delayed progress and significant expenditure have led to concerns among taxpayers and city officials about the efficacy of Raman's approach to addressing homelessness. While Raman advocates for efficiency and accountability, critics point to the outcomes of the TLS program, vacant Homekey units, and the unspent river grant as evidence that her proposed solutions are not yet delivering visible results for the unhoused population or frustrated neighborhoods.