David Wagner
Housing Reporter
(he/him)
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. I help people understand their rights, housing market trends, policy changes and the solutions being proposed to fix the region’s housing crisis.
I grew up in Anaheim, where my parents had the car radio constantly tuned to LAist 89.3 (formerly KPCC). Before coming to KPCC and LAist, I covered science for the NPR affiliate in San Diego, KPBS.
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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. -
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. In an interview with LAist, 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.
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With a stay now granted by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, work on any new housing will be put on ice until April.
Stories by David Wagner
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