Dramatic new ad blasts Nithya Raman’s stance on homeless encampments: ‘Walking to school shouldn’t be scary’

A Los Angeles police union is blasting mayoral candidate Nithya Raman over her record on homelessness, dropping a new attack ad that puts homeless encampments near schools front and center in the mayor’s race.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League released the 30-second spot Thursday, featuring a young girl walking past homeless encampments as Raman’s past comments on the city’s 500-foot anti-camping buffer are played back.

The ad titled “Nithya Raman Won’t Keep Our Kids Safe” features a young girl walking by homeless camps in response to Raman’s former comments in which she stated that a child would not be safer “because a tent is 500-feet away from a school.”

The girl in the ad says:

“Walking to school shouldn’t be scary. Bad things can happen. I see things I’m not supposed to. So I keep my head down so I don’t have to look, or step on a needle,” the girl said as she walking.

The spot is built around Raman’s previous comments that a child would not necessarily be safer simply because a homeless tent was 500 feet away from a school. Raman has opposed expanding the city’s anti-camping restrictions, arguing that moving encampments does not address homelessness and that the city needs more shelter and housing resources.

The police union said Raman has voted more than 75 times against banning homeless encampments at more than 500 locations near schools, parks, daycares and other sensitive sites. Raman’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to MyNewsLA.

More than 130 matters piled up after every Housing and Homelessness Committee meeting over a five-week stretch in April and May was canceled, The Post previously reported.

A $62.6 million homeless initiative championed by Raman also struggled, housing just three households by June 25 despite a goal of moving roughly 2,000 into permanent housing, city records reviewed by The Post showed.

She has consistently opposed city measures restricting encampments within 500 feet of schools and parks as well.

In a 2022 statement, Raman said she did not want encampments around schools but argued that simply creating additional restricted zones would not solve the underlying problem.

The Post has also learned recently that Raman wants to replace her 1,879-square-foot Silver lake home into a 3,528-square-foot house with a spa and two-car garage.

For a politician who has made housing affordability central to her political identity, her decision to increase her home by 88% has drawn sharp criticism.