Bass vs. Raman: Who can make housing more affordable?

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Set us as preferred As election season draws to a close, Los Angeles is stuck in a housing market where no one seems to be winning.Developers aren’t building new apartments.Many tenants can’t afford rent, even though prices have largely been frozen for the last four years and home values are dropping.L.A.

is one of the most expensive cities in the country, so a key question in the race for mayor is which candidate can make living here a bit cheaper.Both Mayor Karen Bass and challenger Nithya Raman champion the cause of housing affordability.Bass signed a handful of directives during her first term that fast-tracked affordable housing projects and created incentives to build new apartments, while Raman has spearheaded strong tenant protections during her time on the City Council.The two have spent much of the last few years working in political parallel — Raman even endorsed Bass before joining the race herself.

Now that they’re running against each other, the candidates are laying out similar visions for housing, but with subtle differences that could affect affordability.Raman has embraced YIMBYism — the “yes in my backyard” movement — while Bass has been hesitant to label herself either YIMBY or Not In My Backyard.L.A.

has long suffered an identity crisis, caught between the single-family homes of its past and the multifamily developments that density advocates say are needed for its future.The question of what and where to build is key to affordability and what the city will look like.

California Bass portrayed Raman as someone who isn’t ready to lead the city, while Raman described the mayor as being ‘missing in action’ during fires in Pacific Palisades and Boyle Heights.In a debate earlier this week, Bass highlighted her accomplishments in paving the way for new affordable housing, while Raman ass...