Nithya Raman is an urban planner who has spent her professional career working on urban poverty and women’s rights. She stepped down from her position as executive director of Time’s Up Entertainment to run in the March 3 primary for LA City Council’s 4th district, which saw its homeless population go up by 53 percent last year alone.

Raman is running on a platform of a homes guarantee, a just transition for LA, immigration reform and a more democratic city council. Her campaign has been endorsed by the Sunrise Movement LA, Ground Game, a number of celebrities and DSA-LA, where she is a member. Raman spoke with Jacobin about her campaign and the housing and homelessness crisis in Los Angeles.