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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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Lawyers who don’t typically handle eviction cases are answering L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’s call to help Angelenos stay housed.
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Council members unanimously supported the school’s plans to transform a Studio City golf course. The project’s opponents say their fight isn’t over.
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The council approved a hotly debated proposal to lower allowable rent hikes in most of the city’s apartments from a maximum of 9% to 6% in February.
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The council was scheduled to consider a hotly debated plan to lower allowable rent hikes in most of the city’s apartments from 7% to 4% this upcoming February. The vote was delayed.
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Some elected leaders wanted to continue a pandemic-era ban on rent hikes. A plan to reduce allowable increases moved forward instead.
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The city of L.A. has banned increases in most apartments for close to four years. A new proposal would push back new rent hikes for six more months.
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Last month, the city launched a new $18.4-million rent relief program for tenants. Now small landlords can apply too.
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The vibrant neighborhood crams 700 restaurants into a roughly two-mile radius, while many workers cram themselves into overcrowded apartments.
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Most L.A. tenants don’t have an attorney in eviction court. If you’re facing an eviction, here’s how to start looking for legal aid.
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Dennis Block runs what he calls a 'leading eviction law firm.' A judge said legal citations submitted in Block's name for a case were fake. Experts told LAist the errors likely stemmed from AI misuse.
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The city’s program aims to help low-income tenants pay off debts they accrued early in the pandemic.
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If signed into law, Senate Bill 4 would allow colleges and churches to sidestep local restrictions and build affordable housing on their own land.
