Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman on Sunday pledged to begin shifting city homelessness funding away from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, put housing permits on a “shot clock” and create new positions overseeing City Hall’s finances and operations as part of an agenda for her first 100 days in office.
The City Councilmember cast the proposals as part of a broader effort to make city government more accountable and responsive, arguing that Los Angeles residents are paying more while struggling with persistent homelessness, rising housing costs and basic services that too often go unaddressed.
“If I am elected, my first 100 days will be about getting that work underway so that our city can once again build,” Raman said.
More than 150 people attended the event at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, where supporters held Raman campaign signs and large balloons spelled out “NITHYA.”
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman delivers a campaign speech at at Los Angeles Trade Technical-College outlining her priorities for her first day and first 100 days in office if elected on Sunday, October 4, 2026. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman (center, in orange) takes the stage at at Los Angeles Trade Technical-College before delivering a speech outlining her priorities for her first day and first 100 days in office if elected on Sunday, October 4, 2026. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman hugs her daughter while surrounded by attendees of her campaign rally at at Los Angeles Trade Technical-College outlining her priorities for her first day and first 100 days in office if elected on Sunday, October 4, 2026. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman delivers a campaign speech at at Los Angeles Trade Technical-College outlining her priorities for her first day and first 100 days in office if elected on Sunday, October 4, 2026. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman listens to her introduction before delivering a campaign speech at at Los Angeles Trade Technical-College outlining her priorities for her first day and first 100 days in office if elected on Sunday, October 4, 2026. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman takes questions from the press during her campaign rally at at Los Angeles Trade Technical-College outlining her priorities for her first day and first 100 days in office if elected on Sunday, October 4, 2026. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman poses with attendees of her campaign rally at at Los Angeles Trade Technical-College outlining her priorities for her first day and first 100 days in office if elected on Sunday, October 4, 2026. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Vanessa Lavorato films Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman as she delivers a campaign speech at at Los Angeles Trade Technical-College outlining her priorities for her first day and first 100 days in office if elected on Sunday, October 4, 2026. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman delivers a campaign speech at at Los Angeles Trade Technical-College outlining her priorities for her first day and first 100 days in office if elected on Sunday, October 4, 2026. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Kenneth Castillo shows off his hat bearing a Raman for Mayor pin before the start of mayoral candidate Nithya Raman’s campaign rally at at Los Angeles Trade Technical-College outlining her priorities for her first day and first 100 days in office if elected on Sunday, October 4, 2026. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Attendees listen as Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman delivers a campaign speech at at Los Angeles Trade Technical-College outlining her priorities for her first day and first 100 days in office if elected on Sunday, October 4, 2026. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Show Caption
1 of 11
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman delivers a campaign speech at at Los Angeles Trade Technical-College outlining her priorities for her first day and first 100 days in office if elected on Sunday, October 4, 2026. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Raman said that on her first day as mayor she would begin moving city homelessness dollars out of LAHSA and ask City Controller Kenneth Mejia to audit every dollar the city spends on homelessness.
She also sets a goal of eliminating tents and encampments across Los Angeles and bringing people indoors by the end of her first term, saying the city needs to take greater responsibility for homelessness spending and results.
Her plan also calls for city departments to establish “surge brigades” for urgent repairs and cleanups and for City Hall to publish a map showing every broken streetlight, when it was reported and when it is expected to be fixed.
On housing, Raman said she would sign an executive order on her first day putting housing permits on a “shot clock,” an effort aimed at cutting through delays she says have contributed to the city’s housing shortage. She also pledged to create an office of tenant protections to advocate for renters within City Hall.
“My top priority in office will be to eliminate the red tape and bureaucratic hurdles that stop us from building homes,” she said.
Raman also proposed creating chief operating officer and chief financial officer positions to manage city operations and finances across departments. Department heads would be evaluated based on results and deadlines, she said, and her administration would create public tools allowing residents to track its progress, successes and failures.
The speech comes with about a month remaining before voters choose between Raman and Bass in a runoff that increasingly focused on homelessness, housing affordability, public safety and whether City Hall is effectively delivering basic services.
Raman criticized Bass’ handling of homelessness, the decline of film and television production, the housing shortage and recovery from the Palisades fire, arguing that the mayor has not responded to the city’s problems with sufficient urgency.
Bass has defended her administration’s record on homelessness, pointing to Inside Safe and other efforts that her office says have brought thousands of unhoused Angelenos indoors. She has also acknowledged persistent problems in the homelessness system and has argued that the city needs greater control over how services are delivered.
On housing and other city services, Bass has pointed to efforts to accelerate affordable housing construction, expand police hiring and improve basic services, arguing that her administration has made progress on problems that developed over many years.
The Bass campaign did not immediately provide a substantive response Sunday to Raman’s proposals or criticism of the mayor.
Raman, an urban planner who has represented Council District 4 since 2020, has made affordability and dissatisfaction with the city government central to her campaign. She has pointed to decline in unsheltered homelessness in her council district and called for greater oversight of city homelessness spending, expanded use of rental subsidies and more rigorous tracking of shelter beds, housing placements and program performance.
Public safety was also part of Raman’s first-100-days agenda. She said she would begin scaling up unarmed crisis response teams to take some calls off of the Los Angeles Police Department’s plate, hire more 911 operators, seek to improve response times, and increase patrols in commercial corridors.
She also said she would audit LAPD policies to determine whether the department is complying with the city’s sanctuary ordinance.
After the speech, Raman said she would replace LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell if elected.
Asked directly whether she would replace McDonnell, Raman answered yes and said the chief “has not met this moment with the focus and responsiveness that immigrant communities have needed at this time.”
“I don’t believe he’s the right chief for this moment,” she said.
Raman did not specify when she would seek to replace McDonnell, and the move was not included among the first-100-days proposals she outlined Sunday. A campaign spokesperson later clarified that by “replace”, Raman meant allowing McDonnell to serve out his current term and selecting a successor, rather than seeking his immediate removal.
Raman also pledged to allow restaurants to self-certify for outdoor dining rather than wait for certain city approvals, work with the Los Angeles Unified School District to create community school parks and launch a public-private initiative to plant 100,000 trees before the 2028 Olympics.
She said she would appoint a leader for a new Hollywood film office in the mayor’s office and name a Palisades recovery czar to accelerate rebuilding and pursue additional financing. Raman also proposed bringing in an experienced financial executive to oversee the city’s Olympic costs.
The proposals were tied together by a recurring theme of accountability, with Raman arguing that city leaders should be judged on whether they deliver measurable results.
“My job as mayor won’t be to explain why that system is so hard to change,” Raman said. “My job will be to change it.”
Sunday’s appearance comes days after Raman and Bass appeared separately at a mayoral forum hosted by Jewish Federation Los Angeles at the Skirball Cultural Center, where they faced questions about homelessness, public safety, antisemitism and the war in Gaza.
Raman defended her description of Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, while Bass said she did not believe the term was appropriate. Both candidates pledged to combat antisemitism and improve public safety in Los Angeles.
Bass and Raman are scheduled to meet Oct. 13 for a televised debate hosted by NBC4 and Telemundo 52, where public safety, homelessness, housing and economic development are expected to be among the major issues.