In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.No issue has dominated the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral race more than homelessness, with more than 43,000 people living without housing in the city.The crisis has emerged as the defining issue in the high-profile contest between Mayor Karen Bass (D) and Councilwoman Nithya Raman as they battle for control of City Hall. Both have spent years at the forefront of the issue, yet each blames the other for the city’s lack of meaningful progress.
When Bass took office in December 2022, she declared a state of emergency on homelessness and launched her signature Inside Safe initiative, prioritizing the rapid movement of people from encampments into interim housing, primarily hotel and motel rooms. The long-term goal was to transition participants into permanent housing.
A man in a wheelchair is hunched over in a zombie-like state on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in Los Angeles. (Barnini Chakraborty/Washington Examiner)
Since then, Los Angeles has spent more than $300 million on the program, clearing hundreds of encampments and moving roughly 5,800 people indoors. Bass, now locked in a heated race with Raman, has credited Inside Safe with helping reduce street homelessness by 17.5% since she took office.The program, however, has faced increasing scrutiny over both its cost and long-term effectiveness.As Inside Safe has evolved, a growing share of participants have returned to unsheltered homelessness, according to monthly dashboards released by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and analyzed by the Los Angeles Times. By the program’s third anniversary in December, roughly 40% of participants had returned to living on the streets, underscoring the difficulty of moving people from temporary shelter into permanent housing.Raman, once an ally of Bass, has championed a different approach, arguing Los Angeles should continue investing in permanent housing, supportive services, and individualized case management rather than relying primarily on encampment sweeps. She has said her office has helped move people indoors by assessing each person’s needs before connecting them with housing and services.Despite billions of dollars spent over the past decade, visible homelessness remains one of Los Angeles’ most persistent challenges, leaving voters to decide whether either candidate has delivered meaningful results.The issue has come to define city politics. Successive administrations have promised progress while pouring billions into shelters, outreach programs, and permanent housing, yet sprawling encampments continue to shape residents’ perceptions of whether City Hall is succeeding.
