To help both our own editorial board and voters understand what the candidates for Los Angeles City Council stand for, we sent surveys out to candidates to get their thoughts on some of the big issues of the day. Here, we present the perspectives of incumbent Councilmember Nithya Raman and challengers Levon Baronian and Ethan Weaver. This editorial board endorsed Ethan Weaver.
Is the city taking the right steps to handle homelessness? What do you propose to do differently?
Levon Baronian: The crisis surrounding the struggles of the unhoused is a multi-pronged economic, public health, and safety issue. Thus far, we have had temporary band-aids from policymakers who are more concerned with superficial optics than putting in the long-term substantive work needed to solve this challenging failure of the system. Homelessness is a manifestation of a combination of issues ranging from a rising cost of living, mental health issues, and substance abuse to the greater failure of our education system and barriers to entry for resources and community support.
My office will have a designated constituent casework branch dedicated specifically to resource and opportunity guidance for residents.
Navigating the process of accessing government resources can be exceedingly complex. Insufficient awareness regarding government services, coupled with the substantial time, expertise, and resources required to comprehend the intricacies of applying to multiple programs and obtaining assistance, constitutes a significant impediment to entry for many individuals.
This will increase the effectiveness of lesser-known programs like Street Medicine, provided by USC and covered by Medicare and Medicaid.
Ethan Weaver: Under Councilmember Nithya Raman’s leadership, Los Angeles has unfortunately taken steps that seem to exacerbate rather than alleviate the homelessness crisis. Allocating a staggering $1.3 billion annually, the crisis has only worsened, with a 10% increase to an estimated 46,260 people in 2023, according to LAHSA. Councilmember Raman’s decision to vote to allow homeless encampments within 500 feet of schools and daycares, even with the presence of dangerous drugs like fentanyl, raises serious concerns about her ability to lead on this issue. This sort of approach not only fails to address the root causes of homelessness but also jeopardizes the well-being of our communities. In contrast, Mayor Karen Bass has shown commendable efforts in tackling homelessness, and her collaboration with first responders and the proposed use of Care Courts align with a more proactive strategy that I favor.
I pledge to reform the city’s approach to homelessness. I aim to clean up the streets and cease the allowance of encampments when shelter options are available. I advocate for collaboration with Mayor Bass and first responders to expedite the use of Care Courts, providing a more effective pathway to get mentally ill unhoused individuals off the streets and into essential treatment and support services. Through these measures, I seek to address the homelessness crisis with a comprehensive and impactful strategy.
Nithya Raman: Over my first term, my office transformed the district’s approach to homelessness outreach, leading to the first decrease in street homelessness that CD 4 has seen in six years. Addressing homelessness will continue to be priority areas of focus, and I’m grateful that I’ve been appointed the Chair of the Council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee, where I can push for real change in our policies.
If re-elected, I will continue my work at the district level, where we’ve built the largest Homelessness Team of any Council office, and adding new, contracted case management and street medicine resources that allow us to make contact with an individual within days or even hours of them appearing on the street in our district – at which point we begin the process of connecting them with whatever resources they need.
Our major expansions to outreach, shelter and housing across the district that led to the first reduction in street homelessness in the district in six years. Our new resources include the only Project Roomkey shelter opened in Los Angeles in 2021 – a resource for which my staff and I conducted a search, found, helped negotiate the initial contract, then managed to convert into the first long-term city-run non-congregate shelter site in LA. We have doubled the available beds in our district and brought hundreds of people off the street and indoors on their way into permanent housing.
Citywide, I have pushed for greater accountability and greater coordination across our homelessness system, including a citywide tent and RV homelessness strategy, transforming how we inform tenants of their rights and require landlords to report eviction, and improving the speed and effectiveness with which we navigate people on the street into permanent housing.
Is the city on a sustainable fiscal trajectory?
Levon Baronian: I don’t believe that the City of Los Angeles doesn’t have enough money. I believe the prevailing issues within our governance structure have raised significant concerns regarding transparency and the responsible allocation of funds. Instances of misappropriation, backdoor deals conducted in clandestine backroom meetings, and resulting embezzlement charges against council members have come to light. While a substantial amount of impropriety has been uncovered, it is my firm belief that there exists an even greater extent of undisclosed malfeasance.
In order to restore public trust and uphold the principles of good governance, it is imperative that we institute a comprehensive and rigorous system of financial accountability. Every dollar entering the budget must undergo thorough scrutiny, be meticulously accounted for, and be subject to regular and independent audits.
Ethan Weaver: Los Angeles currently faces fiscal challenges, and there is a significant opportunity to improve the city’s fiscal trajectory. One key aspect of this improvement is creating a more business-friendly environment, particularly for small businesses and mom-and-pop shops. I believe in reducing unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles, cutting red tape, and providing support for local entrepreneurs, which can contribute to economic growth and job creation. However, it’s very important to address the city’s inefficiencies and ineffectiveness in spending taxpayer dollars, particularly in combating critical issues such as homelessness.
The current approach needs a thorough reevaluation to ensure that funds are directed efficiently and effectively to those in need, especially the unhoused population. We must prioritize a compassionate and strategic approach that allocates resources to provide wrap-around services, including shelter, medical treatment, and support to help individuals escape inhumane living conditions. By redirecting funds where they are most needed, and fostering a supportive environment for small businesses, we can work towards a more sustainable fiscal trajectory for Los Angeles.
Nithya Raman: No, Los Angeles is not currently on a sustainable fiscal trajectory – we are once again mired in deficit, leaving us forced to make cuts to services and staff positions across departments and unprepared for economic shocks. A major part of the reason why I opposed the $1 billion salary increase to LAPD officers passed last summer was my belief that this increase would throw the city into deficit while not meaningfully addressing the shortage of LAPD officers it was intended to address.
I support salary increases for all city staff to keep up with inflation and help our workers afford to live and prosper in LA, but I felt the 27% increase to starting salaries that this package contained was financially irresponsible. It was passed despite my opposition, and as I predicted, LAPD staffing has actually fallen since the increase was put forward and our city is now in a deficit approaching $200 million as a result of the salary increase. Although I am not on the City Council Budget Committee, I have been and will continue to be a fierce advocate in the budget process for responsible spending that allows us to compensate our workers properly while maintaining needed staff and services.