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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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Rent hike limits under a key state law changed little for many SoCal renters in 2024. Here’s what to do if your landlord demands more.
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LA city planners hear from a chorus of Angelenos wanting more housing in single-family neighborhoodsCity officials plan to leave single-family zones out of their blueprint for hundreds of thousands of new homes. Many residents are urging them to reverse course.
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The city has a lot of work to do to meet state housing goals, including rezoning. But officials don’t want to touch single-family neighborhoods.
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Invitation Homes buys, renovates and rents out suburban houses. A lawsuit claims many SoCal renovations were not permitted. The company settled but maintains there was no wrongdoing.
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The Antelope Valley has seen a worrisome rise in homelessness. Most are living unsheltered in inhospitable conditions.
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The proposed Right To Counsel program would give low-income renters in unincorporated L.A. County a free eviction attorney starting next year.
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City officials say Vladyslav Yurov and his alleged associates made more than $4 million renting out properties they didn’t own.
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One housing expert says the new changes leave a successful program “functionally gutted.”
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Homelessness remains high despite record housing placements, officials say, because L.A.’s affordable housing crisis keeps pushing more people onto the streets.
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The justices ruled 6-3 to reverse a lower court opinion that found bans on sleeping in public unconstitutional.
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The decision means more than 100 tenants will get to stay in a West L.A. high rise. It could also have long-term affects on renters across California.
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Before LAist asked for clarity, the city posted conflicting information online. Officials took nearly a week to answer basic questions on rent hikes.
