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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 case has been in the works for months, but prosecutors say the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the lack of protections and benefits for rideshare drivers.
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There's a new federal program to provide unemployment benefits to freelancers -- but they can't have had any income reported on a W-2.
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If you're a freelancer who even a little income from a W2, you might not get paid the full share of your unemployment benefits.
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Freelancers who got even a little income from traditional employers are getting low-balled by the unemployment system. Here's why.
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State officials still don’t have a firm date for when people whose benefits have run out can file for an extension.
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The state's new unemployment program for self-employed workers is off to a rocky start. And some jobless Californians remain shut out of the website.
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You asked for help filing for unemployment benefits as an independent contractor in California. Here it is.
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California’s Work Sharing Program can stop coronavirus-related layoffs. But employers are frustrated by the state’s outdated application process.
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Some employers have struggled to apply for California's Work Sharing Program, which economists say could save jobs during a recession. But officials say improvements are coming soon.
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But the official unemployment rate only begins to capture the magnitude of local job losses.
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By one estimate, the pandemic has already claimed 1.3 million jobs in L.A. County.
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The bad news: self-employed workers have to wait two more weeks to file. The good news: payments should go out soon after.
