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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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Close to 890,000 applicants who may be eligible for payments still have not been paid.
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The director of California's Employment Development Department says they've been swamped, processing more than twice as many claims during the coronavirus pandemic as they did at the height of the Great Recession.
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Those federal payments have now pumped more than $26 billion into California's unemployment system.
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An extra $600 per week in federal benefits has been a lifeline for out-of-work Californians. Now it's going away. Here's what state lawmakers plan to do about it.
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L.A.’s unemployment rate fell to 19.4% last month. But with new business closures, and cases in the state surging, economists worry job gains may have already been erased.
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An extra $600 per week in unemployment benefits has been crucial for out-of-work freelancers. But it expires at the end of July, and it’s unclear whether it’ll be renewed.
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An extra $600 per week in unemployment benefits expires at the end of July, and it's unclear whether it'll be renewed.
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Low-income workers in retail and hotels could take the longest to recover.
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Workers in retail and hospitality could take the longest to recover.
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The city has been hit hard by its reliance on the entertainment and hospitality industries
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Unemployment levels in Black neighborhoods are now double — and in some cases triple — the rates seen in majority-White neighborhoods.
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Many Black neighborhoods now have levels of unemployment that are double -- and in some cases triple -- the rates seen in predominantly White neighborhoods.
