Los Angeles Mayoral Race: Bass and Raman Spar Over Rising Homelessness
The 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count showed the city’s homeless population rise 3.4% to an estimated 45,194 people, with unsheltered homelessness climbing nearly 8% after two years of decline. Mayor Karen Bass and challenger City Councilmember Nithya Raman traded accusations over the numbers. Bass blamed recent federal funding cuts to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, while Raman highlighted a 49% drop in unsheltered homelessness and a 63% reduction in RV‑based encampments within her Fourth Council District.
In the June 2 primary, Bass secured just over 34% of the vote and Raman 29%, moving both to the November 3 runoff; Spencer Pratt finished third with 26%. Raman’s campaign promises to speed housing development, aiming to triple production and adopt a YIMBY‑friendly approach, while Bass defended her administration’s efforts and pointed to the funding shortfall as a key factor in the recent increase.
The race pits the incumbent’s emphasis on federal support and city‑wide initiatives against Raman’s focus on district‑level results and accelerated housing reforms, framing the broader debate on how Los Angeles will address its chronic homelessness crisis.
Entities: Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count · Karen Bass · Los Angeles · Los Angeles City Council · Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority · Nithya Raman
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Nithya Raman received 29% of the vote in the June 2 primary for Los Angeles mayor. (Los Angeles County Registrar)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Unsheltered homelessness rose nearly 8% citywide in 2026. (Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Karen Bass received just over 34% of the vote in the June 2 primary for Los Angeles mayor. (Los Angeles County Registrar)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] In the Fourth Council District, unsheltered homelessness decreased 49% and RV encampments fell from 103 to 38, a 63% decline. (Mayor Bass campaign data)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Karen Bass defended the rise in homelessness, attributing it to Trump administration cuts to funding for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. (Bass campaign statement)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Spencer Pratt received 26% of the vote in the June 2 primary for Los Angeles mayor. (Los Angeles County Registrar)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Homelessness increased 3.4% in Los Angeles city to an estimated 45,194 people in 2026. (Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Nithya Raman proposes to triple housing production and adopt YIMBY‑friendly policies if elected mayor. (Raman campaign platform)