Can Raman Restore and Repair Los Angeles? Ten Challenges That Face the LA Mayor-elect

WESTSIDE - Fresh off an impressive grass roots victory over Karen Bass, the first mayoral incumbent since James Hahn to be defeated for reelection some 21 years ago, Mayor-elect Nithya Raman has a laundry list of challenges and priorities she will need to immediately address as she has a short transition window to get her new administration up and running. 

The 45-year-old Harvard & MIT educated policy bureaucrat is the mother of two and wife of Vali Chandrasekaran, an award-winning writer and executive producer she met while in college. 

The progressive Democrat will inherit a city in crisis, be it homelessness, crime or a general sense that the quality-of-life of most residents has been under assault, and that a results driven agenda is the expectation of an exhausted electorate. 

Here are ten priorities Raman should immediately consider, tackle and address as she transitions from candidate and councilmember to Mayor of the second largest city in America.

The Ten Challenges: 

• Homelessness: The defining test of her administration

Homelessness will almost certainly be Raman's most immediate and visible challenge.

Los Angeles has spent billions of dollars addressing the crisis, yet thousands of people continue to live on sidewalks, in parks, under freeway overpasses and recreational vehicles.

A November 2026 Los Angeles Times report put the city's homeless population at approximately 45,194. The city also spent more than $391 million on Mayor Bass' Inside Safe program, which moved approximately 6,500 people into interim housing.

Unfortunately, about 42% subsequently returned back to the streets.

Raman has promised to audit homelessness expenditures, reduce reliance on expensive hotel and motel placements, expand rental vouchers, and improve overall accountability.

She has also pledged to cut homelessness in half by the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Can she move people off the streets, provide meaningful mental health and addiction treatment, and give neighborhoods relief from encampments? And can she establish accountability for the billions already spent?

• Public safety and the future of the LAPD:

Raman inherits a Police Department facing staffing shortages, labor disagreements and questions about public confidence. They were also strong political and financial supporters of the outgoing incumbent. 

Raman has indicated that she intends to replace Police Chief Jim McDonnell, although her statements about the timing have varied. She also faces collective bargaining negotiations with the Los Angeles Police Protective League over future contractual  compensation.

Raman opposed the previous police compensation package, arguing that the financial commitments placed additional pressure on the city's budget. A challenge will be balancing police accountability with the need to recruit and retain officers, respond to emergency calls, and maintain a reliable public safety presence throughout the city.

Can Raman reassure residents and the business community that public safety will remain a priority while pursuing the police reforms she advocated during her campaign?

• A city budget under pressure

Los Angeles faces a difficult and continuing financial environment.

The city has dealt with a substantial budget deficit, increasing employee compensation obligations, liability settlements and additional costs associated with the Palisades Fire. The budget is approximately $14.8 billion, but its financial obligations extend well beyond annual operating expenses.

LA Controller Kenneth Mejia has identified significant underspending, particularly in homelessness programs. His office reported that the city underspent its homelessness allocation by at least $473 million during fiscal year 2024-25 and Raman has frequently questioned expensive city projects and spending commitments, including the proposed $2.6 billion Convention Center expansion.

The new Mayor will now have to demonstrate that fiscal restraint can coexist with investments in police services, fire protection, street repairs, affordable housing and homelessness programs.

The challenge for balancing the budget is now hers.

• Fixing the obvious: Streets, sidewalks, lighting and sanitation

One of Raman's campaign themes was that Los Angeles needs a city government that actually works. That means addressing the everyday problems that residents encounter in their neighborhoods such as potholes, broken sidewalks, malfunctioning streetlights, graffiti, trash accumulation and delayed responses to basic service requests.

The Los Angeles Times recently reported that more than 5,000 sidewalk repair requests were pending, and tens of thousands of streetlights remain out.

These are not glamorous issues, but they directly affect residents, pedestrians, businesses, seniors, and residents with disabilities. Raman has talked about improving departmental coordination and using performance data to measure results moving forward.

Her administration will need to establish performance standards, identify responsible departments, and make sure that residents can see actual improvements versus the mere promise of results.

• Housing affordability and future development 

Los Angeles remains one of the most expensive housing markets in the US.

Renters are struggling; young families are finding it increasingly difficult to purchase homes, and many longtime residents are leaving LA due to the mounting costs. 

Raman has embraced policies designed to accelerate housing construction, including greater density near public transportation and more duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes in neighborhoods traditionally dominated by single-family homes. She has proposed a 60-day approval timetable for qualifying apartment projects and supports the state's SB 79 housing legislation.

But increased development will encounter resistance from homeowners concerned about neighborhood character, parking, traffic and infrastructure. She must also address the slow construction of affordable housing. While thousands of units may be in the development pipeline, the actual number under construction remains substandard. 

Can Raman increase the housing stock supply without alienating specific neighborhoods? 

• Palisades wildfire reconstruction

The January 2025 wildfires devastated various communities throughout the region, leaving thousands of residents displaced and businesses destroyed. The recovery effort will remain an important responsibility for City Hall, particularly in the Pacific Palisades, where residents continue to face the difficult process of rebuilding homes, restoring infrastructure and navigating government permitting guidelines.

Raman will need to ensure that rebuilding is not delayed by bureaucratic obstacles; that infrastructure is restored, and that residents receive clear answers about permits and city services. She will also inherit the political consequences of the criticism directed at the Bass administration over wildfire preparedness and the city's response.

For residents who lost everything, how quickly can these fire victims return home?

• Saving Hollywood and restoring an economic engine

Los Angeles is synonymous with the entertainment industry, but Hollywood is experiencing a significant production downturn. Film and television production shoot days declined 16.1% in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to Film LA. The industry has lost thousands of jobs as production has moved to other states and countries offering more attractive financial incentives.

Raman has made a restoration of Hollywood production a priority. She has advocated reducing permitting delays, addressing unnecessary red-tape, and making Los Angeles more attractive to production companies.

The city cannot control every decision that influences where studios film. State tax credits and international competition remain significant considerations, but nevertheless, the mayor can work with industry, labor organizations, studio executives and the City Council to improve the local business climate.

Production workers, caterers, electricians, hotels, restaurants, equipment companies and countless small businesses depend on a healthy entertainment economy. Can the Mayor-elect restore Los Angeles' position as the entertainment capital of the world? It will certainly be a heavy economic lift for any city leader. 

• Immigration, sanctuary city policies and rebuilding neighborhood  trust

Raman has taken strong positions on protecting immigrant communities and opposing federal immigration enforcement activities that conflict with city sanctuary policies. She has proposed strengthening the Office of Immigrant Affairs, expanding legal assistance for immigrants and auditing LAPD compliance with the city's sanctuary guidelines. 

These issues will become particularly thorny as the city navigates relations with the federal government and the Trump White House. The challenge will be protecting residents' legal rights, maintaining public confidence in local institutions, and ensuring that city services remain accessible to everyone. She will need to communicate clearly about what the city can legally do, what it cannot do and where federal and local authority best cooperate and intersect.

• Preparing Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic Summer Games

The Olympic Games are less than two years away, and Los Angeles will be under an international spotlight to perform.

During this 17-day international extravaganza, the Games presents an extraordinary opportunity to showcase the city, attract visitors, and generate economic activity. It also presents an acute logistical challenge involving transportation, public safety, sanitation, infrastructure, and coordination among dozens of government agencies.

A September 2026 Los Angeles Times report noted that Metro had requested $379 million in state transportation funding for Olympic-related projects but received only $20 million. Raman will have to work with Metro, LA28 organizers, neighboring municipalities, state officials, and federal agencies ensure that transportation and public infrastructure are ready to accommodate. The Olympics will also bring questions about homelessness, street conditions, traffic congestion, and the overall appearance of the city to the forefront and spotlight of the world.

• Coalition Building at City Hall and beyond

Raman's chief challenge could remain political in scope and concern.

She enters office after a campaign that exposed divisions among elected officials, labor organizations, business interests, neighborhood groups, and diverse political constituencies.

She will need to partner with a fractured City Council that has its own political interests and independent authority. Raman will also have to establish lasting relationships with the county, Metro, regional mayors, state officials, and Washington. That process apparently has commenced as developer Rick Caruso has indicated he plans to cooperate with the new mayor to get things done and up and running. 

Raman has presented herself as an outsider, willing to challenge established practices.

But governing requires building coalitions, negotiating consensus and persuading people who did not support her election to participate in her administration like Rick Caruso. She will also face expectations from progressive supporters who want her to deliver on campaign commitments, while moderates and business interests will be watching how those policies affect the city's economy and neighborhoods.

Can Raman effectively govern beyond the political coalition she assembled that defeated Bass?

The campaign is over and the real test now begins.

Nick Antonicello is a thirty-three-year resident who covered the 2026 LA race for mayor. A regular contributor to City Watch LA, he can be reached via e-mail at [email protected]