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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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Asia Vargas lost her job early in the pandemic. Nearly a year later, the Orange County single mom still hasn't received a dime from the state's embattled unemployment agency.
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Most L.A. renters were spending way too much on housing before COVID-19. The affordability crisis helped the pandemic spin out of control.
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After a year of payment delays and fraud scandals, lawmakers unveiled a series of proposed reforms for California’s unemployment department.
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After the city's move to require a temporary $4-per-hour pay bump for many grocery workers, large chains are responding with store closures and layoffs.
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The new estimates of rampant unemployment fraud come after many Californians had their claims suspended.
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As COVID-19 cases surged in California during December, so did job losses.
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A number of local governments are weighing premium pay requirements for grocery workers during the pandemic. Long Beach is among the first to pass it.
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California’s unemployment system suspended 1.4 million claims due to potential “fraudulent activity.” Now, users are scrambling to prove they’re legit.
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On New Year's Eve, California's unemployment system suspended a large number of claims due to potential "fraudulent activity." Some still don't know how to prove they're legit.
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Labor organizers say the passage of California’s Prop. 22 makes it easier for grocery companies to outsource employee jobs to gig apps.
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Congress has passed new unemployment aid for workers with multiple jobs, but some L.A. freelancers say it's not enough.
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Congress passed a $100 weekly unemployment boost for workers with multiple gigs. But some L.A. freelancers say it doesn't make up for nine months of artificially low benefits.
