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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
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Initiative backers agreed to pull their measure after state lawmakers gave them a last-minute deal. Where do efforts to reform Measure ULA go from here?
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L.A. leaders have long voted to keep apartments away from single-family zones. A new state law is forcing them to change those plans.
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City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto alleges a legal aid organization hasn’t complied with its contract. But L.A. housing officials say they’ve seen full compliance.
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A previous council committee decided against sending tax changes to voters. But now, the full council wants to move forward with a November ballot measure.
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Proponents say they’re still collecting signatures and aiming to qualify their measure for the ballot in November 2028.
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With OC rents and home prices soaring, the state says individuals making up to $104,200 per year are now eligible for “low-income” housing.
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Hydee Feldstein Soto hasn’t explained why she has delayed rent relief and eviction defense funding approved by the City Council and the mayor.
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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.
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Follow along here to track the vote count in the race for Los Angeles mayor.
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Follow along here to track the vote count in the race for Los Angeles County assessor.
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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.
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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.
