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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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The state’s supplemental paid sick leave law sunsets after Thursday. Public health officials and workers rights groups are calling for an extension.
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Pandemic protections for California renters are set to expire after Sept. 30. But other protections remain. Here’s how you can fight eviction.
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Housing costs consistently make California the highest-poverty state in the country. So why did poverty fall during the pandemic?
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With the state taking over the city’s troubled rent relief program, L.A. tenants can once again apply for aid. Now comes the hard part — getting existing applicants to reapply.
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With federal unemployment benefits ending this week, L.A. legal aid providers are preparing to see an increase in Angelenos facing homelessness.
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The city of L.A. is turning its troubled rent relief program over to the state. Renters currently shut out of the city's program will be able to apply through the state starting Sept. 1.
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The city stopped taking applications for rent relief in April. Advocates and lawmakers are pushing to reopen the program.
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Months after the county cited a property for roaches, holes in the walls and lack of hot water, tenants say problems haven’t been fixed. Activists say it’s just one example of a larger problem.
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As L.A. tenants anxiously wait for rent relief, hundreds of millions of dollars remain unspent. The city of L.A. has distributed just 7% of available funding.
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The L.A. City Council passed rules that let tenants sue landlords who physically threaten them, refuse to accept rent or don't perform repairs.
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Some companies plan to let their L.A. employees keep working from home. But the businesses that cater to those workers need them to come back to the office.
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In 2017, the city created a program designed to preserve affordable — but unpermitted — apartments by bringing them up to code. Four years later, only 39 units have been approved.
