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Podcasts Take Two
How unaffordable housing affects employers, mortgage assistance for six-figure earners, NAACP/Airbnb partnership
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Jun 19, 2018
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How unaffordable housing affects employers, mortgage assistance for six-figure earners, NAACP/Airbnb partnership

CA employers struggle to lure workers due to high housing costs, a mortgage assistance program for six-figure applicants, why the NAACP partnered with Airbnb.
A 6 bedroom, 7 bath property estimated at a little over 6 million USD sits for sale in Arcadia, California on May 17, 2016, where "mansionization" has become a flash point, houses torn down and mansions built, in a city where Chinese nationals have been investing heavily. A huge surge in Chinese buying of both commercial US real estate and residential property last year took their five-year investment total to more than US 110 billion, according to a study from the Asia Society and Rosen Consulting Group, as Chinese nationals became the largest foreign buyers of US homes. / AFP / FREDERIC J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
A 6 bedroom, 7 bath property estimated at a little over 6 million USD sits for sale in Arcadia, California on May 17, 2016, where "mansionization" has become a flash point, houses torn down and mansions built, in a city where Chinese nationals have been investing heavily. A huge surge in Chinese buying of both commercial US real estate and residential property last year took their five-year investment total to more than US 110 billion, according to a study from the Asia Society and Rosen Consulting Group, as Chinese nationals became the largest foreign buyers of US homes. / AFP / FREDERIC J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
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FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images
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As SoCal continues to grapple with high housing costs, we talk to KPCC reporter David Wagner about local businesses that are struggling to lure job candidates. We also find out why a mortgage loan assistance program designed to low- and middle-income families is seeing more applicants who earn six figures. Plus, we get more details about Airbnb's new partnership with the NAACP.

High housing costs hamper employer recruitment to California

The high cost of living in California is hurting the state’s appeal. Employers and recruiters are having a tough time luring job candidates.

Guest:

  • David Wagner, KPCC business reporter

Californians with six-figure incomes are getting mortgage loan assistance

The state's housing crisis is out of control, and here's more proof.

There's a program to help low- and middle-income families buy their first house. It's run by the California Housing Finance Agency. But lately, more of those people who need help earn up to $200,000.

Matt Levin tells that story for CALmatters and there are a few reasons why:

  • The median price for a home in California is $580,000. To afford more, families need to earn more.
  • The high cost of everything makes it hard for many families, even those earning six-figures, to save enough for a down payment.
  • The agency changed up who qualifies for the program. "The cutoff doesn’t change based on the size of a household," reports Levin. "An engineer making $100,000 would be eligible for the same programs as a single mother of six."

Guest:

  • Matt Levin, The California Report

‘Speak English to her’

L.A. Times reporter Esmerelda Bermudez is originally from El Salvador. So she speaks Spanish as well as English. Her husband is also Armenian, so the two of them made the decision to raise their daughter with all three languages. That caused an incident as she wrote in a story that ran over the weekend, we spoke to her about that story and the response it’s gotten from readers. 

Guest:

  • Esmerelda Bermudez, L.A. Times reporter

https://twitter.com/LATbermudez/status/990381352183709696

The Long Beach Post relaunches

The Los Angeles Times is, as of yesterday, now back under local control. Also on Monday, a new hyperlocal news service started up in Long Beach. The Long Beach Post relaunched under new ownership. Pacific6, an investment firm backed by former Molina Healthcare CFO John Molina, bought the post and has expanded the staff with local journalists some poached from the OTHER paper in town The Long Beach Press Telegram. Tim Grobaty is one of them and he joins us for more.

Guest:

  • Tim Grobaty,  columnist with the Long Beach Post, which relaunched yesterday under new ownership.

L.A. hosts the second International Samba Congress

It’s been a pretty exciting few days for the roughly 10,000 Brazilians who live in Los Angeles. Not only did the Brazilian National Team face off against Switzerland – and tie – during the World Cup over the weekend. But the second International Samba Congress also took place in downtown L.A. and it's not even Carnival time. Take Two contributor Betto Arcos went to check it out.

NAACP partners with Airbnb

Last Wednesday, the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People announced a partnership with short-term home rental company Airbnb to curb racial discrimination and expand service to minority communities. The goal is to increase the economic benefits of tourism to people of color, who typically face barriers to technology and innovations.

Guest:

  • Marvin Owens, NAACP senior director of economic programs

A new Koreatown neighborhood council?

It's election day in Koreatown. Initially, people were confused about what a subdivision election even is and misinformation was spreading rampantly. But we helped clear that up. But on election day, we spoke to the folks empowering L.A. through neighborhood councils and why some residents of Koreatown felt a separate council was necessary.

Guest:

  • Mike Fong, Director of policy and Government relations at Empower L.A.

Let it Bey!

Hip-hop power couple Beyonce and Jay-Z decided to lovingly blow up every POC's Juneteenth playlist this weekend with the surprise drop of their newest album "Everything is Love." The only person who probably didn't rejoyce? Rapper Nas, whose album "Nasir" had just a few hours in the sun, before the dynastic duo swooped in. This week on Tuesday Reviewsday, Oliver Wang from Soul-Sides.Com reviews both works, and even shines a little light on lesser-known local Jay Rock, who's album "Redemption" also appeared to be at risk of getting lost in the Bey swarm.