Bass and Raman Clash Over Homelessness in First Mayoral Debate Ahead of Runoff

SHERMAN OAKS (KESQ) - Sparks flew tonight as Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilwoman Nithya Raman sparred over homelessness, housing and public safety, and attempted to persuade voters to support their respective bids to lead the second-largest city in the nation.

During the 90-minute debate conducted by the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council and Sherman Oaks/Encino Chamber of Commerce, Bass attempted to paint Raman as someone who lacks experience and support to carry out her visions for Los Angeles.

Raman on the other hand went on the offensive, criticizing Bass for what she described was the incumbent's failure in maintaining basic city services and moving Los Angeles forward.

A significant topic of the night was homelessness with moderators asking how the two mayoral candidates would address the crisis in the next four years.

Homelessness increased by 3.4% in the city to an estimated 45,194 people, and unsheltered homelessness also rose by nearly 8%, according to figures from the 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. The data showed the first increase in the unhoused population following two consecutive years of decreases.

Raman touted that her Fourth Council District, which encompasses Sherman Oaks, Hollywood Hills, parts of Reseda, Van Nuys and other communities, experienced a 49% decrease in unsheltered homelessness as a result of her efforts. She has made a commitment to audit every city dollar used for homelessness and track the performance of those programs.  

The councilwoman hammered down on that issue, criticizing Bass for spending $400 million on Inside Safe, refusing audits of her signature program, and costly motels and hotels used as temporary housing for unhoused individuals.

Bass stated Los Angeles needs to transform the entire homelessness system because it is dysfunctional as it is governed by the city, Los Angeles County, and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

"If the city controls the system completely, we can have our own contracts with federally qualified health clinics to get people the health care that they need, especially in terms of drugs and mental health,'' Bass said.   

Bass rebutted the decrease in homelessness in Fourth Council District was due to Inside Safe, an initiative she started when she took office to bring unhoused people into temporary housing such as motels, hotels, and shelters.   

While Bass has defended Inside Safe, a Los Angeles Times analysis found that in the nearly four years since the program began, about 41% of unhoused people who participated in the program had returned to homelessness.   

Bass repeatedly blamed Raman for the city's challenges with homelessness, pointing to her six years in office and leading the City Council's Housing and Homelessness Committee.

Raman defended her tenure leading the committee, touting that she led efforts to lower rents for rent stabilized units and improving tenant protections, among other initiatives.

On public safety, Raman defended her decision to oppose a 2023-pay raise for Los Angeles Police Department officers, which she said contributed to the city's $1 billion deficit last year, resulting in less funding to fix streetlights, sidewalks and potholes and for sanitation.

"This is about fiscal management of our public tax dollars. This contract gave raises to this PD that our city couldn't afford, and we suffered as a result,'' Raman said, adding that she supports maintaining the size of the police force.

She argued that even with incentives in place the LAPD is struggling to grow. Raman said that she believes Los Angeles can do better, and residents deserve a city that responds to calls for help with the appropriate response.   

Bass has said she wants the LAPD to grow. She took an opportunity to criticize Raman for her views on police hiring, pointing that the councilwoman supported ``defunding the police'' in a 2020 social media post.   

"She's irresponsible in what she talks about because she talks out of both sides of her mouth,'' Bass said.   

If elected mayor, Raman said she would replace LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, given the opportunity.

"I don't believe that his response to the ICE raids on our streets have met the moment,'' Raman said. "This is a moment where immigrants in the city are under attack, and I feel like we do need police leadership that respects that and honors that, and I think we can find that leadership.''

Bass emphasized that under her leadership the city experienced the largest reduction in the homicide rates. They both support expanding unarmed crisis response programs, freeing up police officers to focus on emergencies that require armed response.

The candidates discussed SB 79, the state housing laws promoting more dense developments near transit stops. Bass had opposed the state law, arguing the state was attempting to force its building plans on the city without considering the impact on single family homes. Raman supports SB79, though in a more gentler application. The councilwoman has worked with her colleagues on the City Council and planning department to form guidelines as to how SB 79 should be implemented in the city, allowing for unit and height caps on future apartment buildings that may be located in single-family neighborhoods.  

Bass emphasized that her executive directive one has helped to fast- track 42,000 units of housing and pursue adaptive reuse to transform empty buildings into housing. Raman agreed that it has helped but it has only resulted in some 6,000 buildings actually being built.

Bass and Raman highlighted their plans to assist the film industry and businesses.  

Bass said she appointed local film czar to serve as a liaison between the industry and the city with the goal of serving any immediate needs, and taken other initiatives. Raman pushed back, arguing that the under Bass' leadership the city has lost 40,000 film jobs.

Raman said if she is elected mayor she would advocate state lawmakers for a much more expansive and extensive tax credit for the film industry. Bass has made a similar commitment.

"We need a tax credit and advocacy in Sacramento for the kind of tax credit that is the same that Georgia has, that's the same that New Jersey has, that's taking jobs away from here,'' Raman said. "This is the kind of tax credit that Angelinos deserve, and one that I would be the loudest and strongest advocate for."   

In response, Bass said ``You've been at City Hall twice as long as I have. I realize you want to pitch yourself as somebody from the outside, but where were you?"