Los Angeles City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Nithya Raman says there's been a "lack of urgency" from city hall in solving the problems important to Angelenos.

In an interview with CBS LA on Monday, she cited the issue of homelessness –  which she says inspired her to run for office in the first place – as a particular stressor for the city and an indictment of its leadership.

"I think there's a lack of urgency around what Angelenos are asking for," Raman said. "We taxed ourselves to have better outcomes on homelessness. Now you show us the results. You deliver on accountability."

Raman said that while she would want to expand city investments in shelters as mayor, which it has with the Inside Safe program, the city hasn't done enough with the investments. , more than 40% of the unhoused people who exited the program returned to the streets.

"Mental health issues are really important for people who are on the streets and in our shelters," she said. "Only 4% of residents across the thousands of shelter beds are getting access to any mental health support."

On red tape and regulations

A major criticism of Mayor Karen Bass, who Raman is running against, has stemmed from a slow rebuild process for those who lost homes and businesses in the Pacific Palisades following last January's deadly and destructive Palisades Fire. While Bass has defended her record on the issue, she admitted that a high price tag for the city on her promise to waive construction fees for rebuilders slowed the council's ability to produce a law.

Cutting red tape has been a longtime mission for politicians across California, and Raman said it's on leadership to ensure that departments and other politicians cooperate for the greater good.

"The real power of the mayor's office is to push the departments to take action and to convene different departments and different jurisdictions," Raman said. "That's the mayor's real power and one I have not seen this mayor using to deliver for Angelenos."

Raman claimed that by using the mayor's power to hire and fire department heads, she would hold them accountable to make progress in helping reduce processing times.

The LAPD

Raman pushed back on a recent claiming that the members of the LA city council who belong to the Democratic Socialists of America, which includes her, are scheming to "snatch control of the country's third-largest police force" by shifting power over the Los Angeles Police Department from the mayor to the council.

"I've talked about wanting to maintain the size of our police force right now. I've talked about ensuring that we have greater accountability from our police force," Raman said. "We need to build out a system that can really be responsive to the needs of residents."

She called the report a "salacious headline."

"Anybody who has called for help would agree that the LAPD needs to do better to be responsive to the needs of constituents," she said.