Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
LAist/KPCC Investigation 'Stuck' Honored With 2 Online Journalism Awards
(
Dan Carino for LAist
)
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
The LAist/KPCC investigative reporting project Stuck has won two Online Journalism Awards from the Online News Association. Investigative and data reporter Aaron Mendelson took a deep look at California's housing crisis, uncovering a sweeping rental empire connected to landlord Mike Nijjar. The project was honored with awards for investigative journalism and for audio storytelling.
Stuck revealed shoddy living conditions for tenants hanging onto the bottom rung of Southern California's housing market, from cockroaches and bedbugs in tenants' homes to the health and safety code violations that led to the death of a 5-month-old girl in a trailer park fire. One tenant interviewed by Mendelson was later shot and killed in the parking lot of his complex.
Mendelson uncovered the story by analyzing eviction data, ultimately identifying more than 170 businesses connected to Nijjar representing at least 16,000 units and $1.3 billion in real estate. A team of reporters and editors worked to turn the reporting into a vivid digital story with searchable database of properties and an hourlong radio documentary. KPCC/LAist journalists reviewed thousands of pages of court filings and interviewed dozens of tenants.
"This investigation underscores how critical it is to have strong local journalism. It's only through Aaron's dogged reporting that this story came to light," said KPCC/LAist executive editor Megan Garvey. "He was combing through massive amounts of eviction data when he started to notice a pattern in names -- and pulling that thread ultimately led to a powerful examination of how and why these conditions continue to go unchecked."
Nijjar remains in business. You can read the full investigation here, and six of the key takeaways here.
Sponsored message
Listen to the full audio investigation:
WE LOVE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS
With contributions from Mike Roe
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
