Nithya Raman touts district homeless drop, ducks blame for LA surge

Just hours after Los Angeles released troubling new figures showing homelessness is once again on the rise citywide, Housing and Homelessness Committee Chair Nithya Raman celebrated a sharp decline in her own district — despite the worsening crisis unfolding under the committee she leads.Raman touted a 49% drop in unsheltered homelessness in Council District 4, arguing the results show her data-driven strategy should serve as the model for the rest of Los Angeles.The councilwoman also highlighted a 41% decline in tents, RVs and other makeshift shelters, attributing the improvement to what she called an “aggressive interventionist approach” built around intensive outreach, dedicated homelessness staff, constant encampment tracking and closely monitoring available shelter beds.“My office takes the most aggressive interventionist approach to homelessness you will find in Los Angeles,” Raman said, arguing relentless oversight — not simply spending more money — had produced results few other districts could match.The celebration came against a starkly different citywide backdrop.Newly released homeless count data showed homelessness in LA rose 3.4% this year to 45,194 people, while the number living unsheltered climbed 7.9% to 29,115, reversing two straight years of declines despite governments now spending nearly $3 billion annually on homelessness programs.The figures placed Raman in an uncomfortable position.As chair of the City Council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee, she leads the panel responsible for overseeing homelessness policy, holding agencies accountable and advancing legislation on one of Los Angeles’ most expensive and politically charged crises.But when repeatedly pressed about why homelessness increased across the city while she chairs that committee, Raman drew a sharp distinction between setting policy and running day-to-day operations.“The mayor is the CEO of our city,” Raman said during a press conference on Friday.She said...