David Wagner

Homelessness is down in the LA region — but not for children and families The estimated number of unsheltered children and teens under 18 in the county went up this year.

For @laist.com, Elly Yu reports on a troubling trend: Even as L.A. makes some progress on sheltering unhoused adults, the region is failing to stem the rise of homelessness among families with kids.

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Newsom plans to let LA suspend duplex projects in fire burn zones Should Palisades and Altadena homeowners be able to build duplexes on their burned lots? Some state and local officials say no.

How many additional homes should be allowed in Altadena and the Palisades as homeowners start to rebuild?

Gov. Newsom plans to let L.A. suspend a state law allowing duplexes to replace single-family homes in burn zones. Get the details in my @laist.com story:

Cash-strapped LA cities ask private donors to help immigrants pay rent following ICE raids Facing budget shortfalls, local governments are now asking philanthropists to help provide cash assistance and rent relief to families with detained workers.

After federal immigration raids, L.A. families are losing income and struggling to make rent.

So far, cities have relied on private donors to fund cash assistance programs. Some renter advocates say local governments should dig deeper to help.

Read my @laist.com story for more:

Post-fire rent gouging charges have been rare, but LA County violators could soon be fined The district attorney’s office has not filed any charges for post-fire price gouging. Now, county leaders want the ability to issue daily fines of up to $1,000 per violation.

Despite thousands of listings that appear to have illegally raised rents since the January fires, L.A. County prosecutors have yet to file any charges.

Now, county leaders want a new approach to enforcement: fines of up to $1,000 per day. Read our @laist.com story for details:

After the LA fires, mortgage companies promised to give devastated homeowners a break. Some have not Borrowers who lost homes tell LAist their banks are not following the rules of a state mortgage relief program. Some have been told they could face foreclosure.

“It's a real breach of trust when servicers have raised this expectation of giving certain disaster relief and then they're not offering it at a moment where these homeowners really don't need any more stress.”

laist.com/news/housing...

via @laist.com #housing+ #urbanism+ #urbanism

After the LA fires, mortgage companies promised to give devastated homeowners a break. Some have not Borrowers who lost homes tell LAist their banks are not following the rules of a state mortgage relief program. Some have been told they could face foreclosure.

After the L.A. fires, hundreds of mortgage companies said they would pause monthly payments for homeowners who lost everything. They promised to give people time to recover.

But some are now demanding borrowers pay up — or risk losing their properties. My story for
@laist.com:

LA County leaders vote to extend housing price-gouging protections for another month An order against hiking rents more than 10% after January’s wildfires was set to expire on July 1. The L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted to extend it until July 31.

L.A. County has extended a ban on rent gouging after the January fires.

Limits were set to expire July 1 under an order from Gov. Newsom. Now they'll last through July 31.

Tenant advocates say they're still seeing 100s of illegal listings every week. More in my @laist.com story:

ICE raids lead to another crisis for immigrant workers and families: How to pay rent Two-thirds of undocumented households were already burdened by L.A. housing costs. With breadwinners locked up and workplaces closed, paying rent is only getting harder.

“This could have the result of increasing homelessness for entire families.”

laist.com/news/housing...

Via: @laist.com
#housing+ #urbanism+ #urbanism

Help for LA renters at risk of eviction jeopardized as city attorney refuses to sign contract, tenant advocates say Renters have been getting legal aid and rent relief through Stay Housed L.A. for years. If Hydee Feldstein Soto lets the city’s contract lapse, those services could end June 30.

Legal aid for thousands of L.A. renters is at risk of vanishing on June 30, tenant advocates say, because City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto is refusing to sign a contract approved by the City Council and the Mayor.

Get the details in my story for @laist.com:

ICE raids lead to another crisis for immigrant workers and families: How to pay rent Two-thirds of undocumented households were already burdened by L.A. housing costs. With breadwinners locked up and workplaces closed, paying rent is only getting harder.

Trump’s mass deportation efforts are colliding with L.A.’s housing crisis.

With breadwinners detained and workplaces shutting down due to fear of more raids, immigrant workers and their families tell @laist.com they're not sure how they'll pay next month's rent.

I have read the motion. I was the first to report on it.

Also, no need to speculate. There already are ED1 projects getting built with zero parking under AB 2097. The idea that similar projects would never get built elsewhere if the policy goes city-wide seems unlikely.

Allowing projects across the city to opt for no parking is exactly what this motion is seeking to do. Your insistence that our story "blew it out of proportion" is weird, but whatever.

OK

I think it's obvious that this motion would not overturn single-family zoning. I think my story was accurate and thorough, but I can see that we're not going to agree on this.

I think it's obvious that this motion would not overturn single-family zoning. I think my story was accurate and thorough, but I can see that we're not going to agree on this.

I'm unclear why you're taking issue with the story then? Your posts make it sound like our story got this all wrong...

I said "allow" new apartments anywhere in the city with zero parking. You're saying I got that wrong?

Our story makes that point clear. As for the headline, are you saying this policy would not lead to new housing projects that eschew parking?

New homes with no parking? LA City Council considers ending parking requirements Two L.A. City Council members are putting forward a new proposal that could let developers skip on-site parking, with the goal of creating more housing.

Should developers in car-centric Los Angeles be allowed to build new apartments anywhere in the city with zero on-site parking?

Some L.A. City Council members think so.

My @laist.com story looks at a new motion considering an end to parking requirements city-wide:

Rent control reforms still on hold at LA City Hall, with new rent hikes just weeks away One year ago, Los Angeles received recommendations for updating a decades-old rent control formula. But the City Council hasn’t scheduled a vote.

New rent hike caps of up to 5% will take effect in most L.A. apartments on July 1... unless City Council votes on a long-pending proposal to lower the limit to 2%.

Find out where your council member stands on the city's rent control rules in my new @laist.com story:

Renters sue Pasadena and LA County over toxic ash cleanup, lack of enforcement Local officials have told tenants to sue landlords who refuse to clean post-fire smoke damage. A new lawsuit seeks to require inspections and enforcement.

When landlords refused to clean up toxic ash from the Eaton Fire, renters were told their only option was to hire a lawyer and go to court.

Now, tenants are suing L.A. County and the city of Pasadena for allegedly failing to enforce safe housing standards. My @laist.com story has the details:

LA Mayor Karen Bass’ budget calls for 80% drop in financing of new affordable housing On top of layoffs and budget cuts, the mayor’s budget proposal includes a pessimistic outlook for the city’s housing market in the upcoming year.

Facing a nearly $1 billion deficit, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass released a budget proposal this week calling for an 80% drop in city financing of new affordable housing.

My @laist.com story unpacks the city's pessimistic outlook for getting more housing built.

This LA County program can prevent homelessness — if it can convince people it’s not a scam Despite being offered help with rent, debt and medical care, nearly half the people contacted by a county homelessness prevention program never call back.

You get a call from the L.A. County Department of Health Services telling you their AI has identified you as being at risk for homelessness, and they want to offer you resources to prevent that. Do you think it’s a scam?

A lot of people do, and it’s a problem. laist.com/news/housing...

It's illegal, but many SoCal landlords still turn away renters who use housing vouchers Undercover testers were deployed to find out if landlords discriminate against Section 8 tenants. The results suggest voucher refusal remains common.

Undercover tests reveal Southern California landlords are still turning away tenants using Section 8 vouchers, five years after state law made such discrimination illegal.

My @laist.com story breaks down the results of recent fair housing testing.

Study finds LA would have more affordable housing if ‘mansion tax’ did not apply to new apartments UCLA and Rand researchers say Measure ULA has decreased new apartment development, including some units that would have gone to low-income renters.

L.A.'s "mansion tax" took effect 2 years ago. It funds tenant protections and subsidizes new low-income apartments.

But a new @rand.org and @uclalewiscenter.bsky.social study finds the city would have more affordable housing if the tax exempted new apartments.

My @laist.com story breaks it down.

This LA County program can prevent homelessness — if it can convince people it’s not a scam Despite being offered help with rent, debt and medical care, nearly half the people contacted by a county homelessness prevention program never call back.

L.A. County is using AI to find people on the brink of homelessness. But in order to keep people housed, outreach workers first need to convince them the program isn't a scam.

My @laist.com story on the delicate art of cold calling and winning the trust of vulnerable Angelenos:

Thousands of complaints, 4 citations: Audit finds LA’s tenant harassment law is rarely enforced A survey by the L.A. City Controller’s Office found 72% of tenants said landlord harassment continued after the city closed its case.

JUST IN: A new audit finds L.A.'s 2021 law against tenant harassment has resulted in more than 11,000 complaints, but only 4 citations.

Nearly three-quarters of surveyed tenants say landlords kept harassing them after the city closed their case.

More in my @laist.com story:

LA passes ‘Right to Counsel’ law, but many tenants facing eviction won’t get a lawyer yet Advocates cheered the City Council vote, but said it will be years before every low-income renter in L.A. gets a free eviction attorney.

L.A.'s City Council just passed a "Right To Counsel," providing free lawyers to low-income renters facing eviction.

But it'll be years before the city has enough money — and enough attorneys — to give every eligible renter full representation.

My @laist.com story has the details:

When I moved to L.A. back in 2010 my one-bedroom apartment had a parking space but no fridge. The apartment building manager when I asked about it: "We only provide the essentials."

BYO-fridge? New bill aims to ban LA’s refrigerator-less apartments Why do so many L.A. landlords make renters bring their own refrigerators? An Inglewood state assemblymember is seeking to stop the practice.

Many apartments in Los Angeles come with no fridge. It's long been one of the weird quirks of renting in L.A.

But the days of landlords expecting renters to bring their own fridge could soon be over.

My @laist.com story on a new bill to ban BYO-fridge: