Homelessness has long been an ongoing issue for residents throughout Los Angeles, with several contributing factors that make it difficult to address. Recently elected Mayor Nithya Raman has made reducing homelessness a central part of her agenda, promising to curb the issue by the 2028 Olympic Games, which Los Angeles is set to host.
Earlier this month Raman defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the 2026 midterm elections, a contentious race in which residents across Los Angeles showed up to have their voice heard and their ballots cast. Among the many issues raised throughout the campaign, homelessness remained a shared concern for both candidates.
“By the 2028 Olympics, the number of people sleeping in tents and encampments will be reduced by at least 50%,” Raman’s mayoral plan outlined, released during her candidacy. “By the end of my first term, the City will have developed the capacity to help everyone in encampments rapidly move into housing, effectively eliminating long-term encampments throughout the city.”
Raman’s promise comes as the city has seen a consecutive rise in homelessness, a challenge her administration will inherit. According to a 2026 report released by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, Los Angeles County has seen a 1.2% increase in homelessness, while the city of Los Angeles has seen an increase of 3.4%.
The report also points to the loss of Time Limited Subsidy funding as a significant contributing factor to this rise. TLS is a short term rental subsidiary program that helps the unhoused individuals quickly and efficiently move into housing. However, as funding reductions began to take place in 2025, the program saw a decrease in the number of housing units utilized, leaving fewer resources available to help individuals secure stable housing, further contributing to an increase in homelessness on the streets.
In direct respect to this issue, Raman’s plan specifically highlights that under her proposed plan, individuals will be moved out of motels and into housing within the first 120 days.
“We’ll achieve this by expanding a proven program called Time Limited Subsidies (TLS), which provides participants with up to 24 months of rental subsidies, intensive case management to build income and address health needs, and help preparing for and accessing permanent housing,” the plan states.
Yet many of these initiatives have already had measurable results under Raman’s leadership. Since taking office in 2020, Raman has demonstrated the effectiveness of her approach in District 4, with significant progress in addressing homelessness. The City of Los Angeles has reported that more than 2,000 people have been moved off the streets, while access to shelter beds within her district reportedly tripled.
As Raman prepares to take her place as Los Angeles’ new mayor next month, the clock will begin ticking on whether these promises will unfold into meaningful action. The success of this initiative will not only be measured by the changes made before 2028, but by the lasting impact those efforts have on the people who call Los Angeles home.
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