David Wagner
Business & Economy Reporter
(he/him)
I cover the economic reality of life in Los Angeles, a place where vast wealth coexists with millions struggling to make ends meet.
I grew up in Anaheim, where my parents had the car radio constantly tuned to 89.3 KPCC. With that upbringing, it’s probably no surprise I went on to work for California public radio stations. Before coming to this newsroom (which is also home to KPCC), I was a reporter for the NPR affiliate in San Diego, KPBS.
I’ve reported on housing affordability, minimum wage laws and the state’s unemployment system. As someone who briefly lived in New York, my hottest food take is that California has plenty of pizza that rivals the East Coast slice.
What questions do you have about housing in Southern California?
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A portion of the state’s record budget surplus would go toward low-income renters who applied for help before March 31. -
In March, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Pasadena was violating SB9. The city’s mayor says Bonta had it wrong all along.
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Named after the late Jeopardy! host, the Trebek Center will bring 107 shelter beds to a community that currently has none.
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When the state closed its rent relief program on April 1, many tenants still waiting for funds suddenly faced eviction.
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Promising to ensure the state remains a haven for abortion access, Newsom said. “We will affirm the currently constitutionally protected rights of women and girls.”
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Is the county’s plan to appoint a new homelessness leader a real solution? Or just shifting deck chairs on the Titanic?
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Voters could soon be asked to raise homelessness funding in the city by taxing home sales of $5 million or more.
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Demands for high income, stellar credit and proof of payment during the pandemic have left many renters unable to find new housing.
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The decision leaves the city of L.A.’s protections in place for tenants who can’t pay rent due to COVID-19.
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Tenants have long complained that L.A. County fails to punish landlords who rent out deteriorating, unhealthy apartments. Now, that could change.
