Sustain LAist today!
-
Listen Listen
-
Listen Listen
David Wagner
What I cover
I cover housing in Southern California, a place where ever-rising rents and a persistent lack of affordable housing have led to many living on the edge of homelessness.
My background
I’ve been helping people understand their rights, housing market trends, policy changes and the solutions being proposed to fix the region’s housing crisis for more than five years.
My goals
I want my coverage to help renters, landlords and anyone else affected by L.A.’s affordability issues navigate the region’s ongoing housing crisis.
Best way to reach me
I would love to hear from you if you have questions or concerns related to housing in Southern California. You can reach out by email. I'm at dwagner@laist.com. Or, if you have a tip you’d like to share more privately, you can reach me on Signal. My username is @reporterdavidwagner.38. For instructions on getting started with Signal, see the app's support page.
Stories by David Wagner
-
Hydee Feldstein Soto hasn’t explained why she has delayed rent relief and eviction defense funding approved by the City Council and the mayor.
-
L.A. wants to put apartment buildings up to four stories tall in some neighborhoods. The City Council passed the plan in order to pump the brakes on a hotly debated state law.
-
Follow along here to track the vote count in the race for Los Angeles mayor.
-
Follow along here to track the vote count in the race for Los Angeles County assessor.
-
SB 79 will put taller apartment buildings near transit stops. But there’s been confusion over which sites qualify. Now, the official map is here.
-
Rent gouging charges after the LA fires were rare. This Altadena couple is now filing their own caseThe Renicks paid nearly $15K in monthly rent while displaced from their fire-damaged Altadena home. They say that violated state and local price-gouging bans.
-
How can the city build faster? Do apartments belong in single-family zones? On many housing issues, L.A. mayoral candidates are sharply divided.
-
Homeowners tried to stop a 133-unit project designed for low-income renters displaced by the Eaton Fire, arguing the project didn’t fit the neighborhood.
-
After a failed vote to extend the ban, the county’s long-standing prohibition on raising rents by more than 10% from pre-fire levels will expire May 29.
-
The city’s airport is set to close at the end of 2028. Voters have approved turning it into a park. But some now want a piece of that land for affordable housing.
-
Two pilot programs are trying to stem the tide of evictions by bringing renters and landlords together for mutually agreeable settlements.
-
Architect Richard Neutra would go on to define mid-century California modernism. But the Jardinette was his first major project. Here’s why its restoration matters.
