Nick Gerda
Why does it often seem like there’s so little progress around homelessness? What can be done to make systems more effective? From the halls of government to the streets, I follow money and policies to examine what’s working, what’s not, and how it’s affecting people in Southern California.
I grew up in L.A. and OC, and previously spent more than a decade at Voice of OC covering the county government in Orange County — often reporting on issues like homelessness, public safety, mental health, and the role of money in politics.
My reporting on corruption in Orange County spurred a federal investigation that led to a powerful O.C. supervisor — Andrew Do — pleading guilty to a federal bribery charge and resigning. That work won the Dan Rather Medal for News and Guts and was a finalist for an Investigative Reporters and Editors award.
If you have a tip, you can reach me on Signal. My username is ngerda.47.
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And if you're comfortable just reaching out by email, I'm at ngerda@scpr.org.
I’m always eager for story ideas and feedback. Your insights help inform my reporting.
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Judge David O. Carter says he’ll rule in the future on what changes will have to be made. -
The suit alleges two top city elected officials have covertly and illegally thwarted a housing proposal for a city-owned lot that’s 800 feet from the beach in Venice. The officials, including the L.A. city attorney, did not have comment.
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A nonprofit at the center of an LAist investigation of O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do missed another deadline to account for over $3 million in taxpayer dollars Do gave the group to feed needy seniors during the pandemic.
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For years, the homeless count in the L.A. area has shown increases in the unhoused population. The latest count finds the upward surge has leveled out overall.
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Officials acknowledge the mistakes, and say they’ve now fixed them.
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An Orange County judge is facing pointed questions about how a murder case was handled back when he was a prosecutor, including the disclosure of the use of so-called jailhouse snitches.
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Federal judge wants details of the city’s spending on homeless service providers to be shared online with the public.
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City officials have been called in for a hearing later this week to detail how millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent.
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The report finds 39% of people at encampments returned after officials ordered them to leave.
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Unhoused people said they were feeling hopeful and looking forward to moving indoors. Over 25 people accepted rooms, according to the city.
