Three weeks ago, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) reported that, despite taxpayers spending roughly $1 billion annually to address homelessness, LA’s homeless population grew by 3.4 percent over the last year — and the number of unsheltered homeless people (i.e., people living outside or in vehicles) grew by 7.9 percent.

Political finger-pointing followed. Spencer Pratt blamed the city’s NGOs and Democratic nominees, Karen Bass faulted state-level cuts and Trump administration policies, and Nithya Raman took an indirect shot at Bass, calling the increase a “failure of leadership” and a “moral outrage” — prompting Pratt’s eloquent response:

“THIS MORON IS THE CHAIR OF THE HOMELESSNESS COMMITTEE.”

And yes, it’s true. Or at least it was true at the time.

Democratic socialist and mayoral hopeful Nithya Raman began chairing the Los Angeles City Council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee in January 2023. Her job was to lead hearings that scrutinize the city’s homelessness programs, move policy, and oversee how taxpayer dollars were spent.

Yesterday, August 10, 2026, Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson essentially fired her, announcing plans to split the committee in two and appoint Raman chair of neither.

Harris-Dawson has offered little explanation for Raman’s removal beyond saying the change would “make the Council functional.” So, we took it upon ourselves to investigate exactly how — and why — homelessness increased on Raman’s watch.

Here’s our earnest inquiry.