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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.
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Pandemic-era eviction rules are going away next month. Here are the new protections passed by the L.A. City Council.
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With a tentative Jan. 31 sunset date looming, L.A.’s city council doesn’t have much time to plan for phasing out pandemic-era tenant safeguards.
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Following last year’s LAUSD hack, cyber criminals are now claiming responsibility for a ransomware attack on the city’s housing authority.
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The largest county in the nation was set to end its COVID-19 eviction rules after Dec. 31. County leaders are now extending the deadline to Jan. 31.
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Eight billion dollars each year. And 240,000 new homes. That’s what it will take to solve California’s homelessness crisis, according to a new report.
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Mayor Karen Bass is telling city staff to dramatically shorten approval timelines for affordable housing. Here’s her plan to cut red tape.
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Bass says L.A. will be “master leasing” buildings across the city. Experts say the approach could move people indoors faster, but won’t be a panacea.
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A new report suggests L.A. rarely enforces a local law for listings on websites such as Airbnb and Vrbo. Is there a better way?
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The city’s law regulating vacation rentals is more than three years old, but a new study suggests violations are rampant.
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Council members have questioned the accuracy of the region’s homeless count. Now, big changes could be coming for an annual survey that guides funding and policy decisions.
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Negotiations to resolve a long-running federal lawsuit over L.A.’s homelessness failures will continue after Judge David Carter says proposed settlement falls short.
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Tenant groups say an earlier vote to phase out L.A.’s pandemic eviction protections is tainted by anti-renter sentiments that came to light in leaked tape.
