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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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Our analysis found unpermitted housing citations plummeted by more than two-thirds in 2020. Here’s what that meant for tenants in bootleg apartments.
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The saga of tenants at one dilapidated Mid-City housing complex is emblematic of a citywide problem that got worse during the pandemic.
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Parent company Kroger blames its closure of a Ralphs and a Food 4 Less on the city's decision to pass a temporary $4-per-hour pay bump for grocery workers.
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A Ralphs and a Food 4 Less are set to close permanently, with parent company Kroger blaming the city’s elected leaders for passing a temporary $4-per-hour pay bump.
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If you lost work and collected California unemployment benefits last year, here are some tips to help you survive tax season.
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Paying your taxes is one ritual the pandemic hasn't disrupted. If you lost work and collected unemployment benefits last year, here's how to file.
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The grocery giant said the city’s temporary $5 per hour hazard pay mandate makes it 'financially unsustainable' to keep the stores open.
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Economists predict that the high-income tech industry will lead the state's rebound but low-wage workers in tourism, hotels and food service could take the longest to recover.
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The $5 per hour pay bump for grocery workers passed by L.A.’s city council will take effect once the mayor signs it into law.
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L.A. County has nearly 150,000 fast food workers. Most of them don't earn much more than minimum wage and they live in households with five or more people.
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Karen Castoldi lost her acrobatics gym to the pandemic. Then she lost her home. The state has given her $45 in weekly unemployment benefits.
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California's grocery industry vows to sue to block the hazard pay mandate, as it has in Long Beach and West Hollywood over similar measures.
