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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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Attorney General Rob Bonta said he would go after alleged rent gougers, and this week his office filed its first case. The agent strongly denies breaking the law.
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If approved, the proposal would ease Airbnb regulations and give new protections to tenants who open their doors to people and pets displaced by the fires.
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What happens to security deposits? Who pays for repairs? LAist answers these and other questions from tenants affected by the L.A. fires.
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Attorney General Rob Bonta confirmed his office is building cases against those suspected of raising rents by more than 10% after the L.A. fires.
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A proposal to freeze rents and protect Angelenos affected by wildfires from eviction was sent to committee while other emergency motions passed unanimously.
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The region already had a severe shortage of affordable housing. With thousands of families displaced by fires, it’s now even worse.
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For one listing, rent jumped nearly 86% since September. The agent said she told her client, “People are desperate, and you can probably get good money.”
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The L.A. City Council has failed to vote on new rent control limits ahead of a looming Feb. 1 deadline. Should increases be put on hold?
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Judge rules L.A. illegally tried to change the rules for a program to streamline affordable housing in neighborhoods with single-family homes.
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Furry friends are not always welcome in L.A. apartments. Some elected leaders now want to overturn pet bans — but landlords say they exist for good reasons.
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The city needs to rezone for more than a quarter-million new homes. Elected leaders decided to block new housing in single-family neighborhoods.
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The city estimates 7,500 homes are being illegally rented through online booking platforms. Here’s how they plan to crack down before the Olympics.
