LA Public Press’ contributor Jack Ross won first place in the “Investigative, government related” category at the Southern California Press Awards earlier this month, hosted by the Los Angeles Press Club.
Ross’ story, “‘Relocating’ rent-controlled tenants in LA is a lucrative business,” sheds light on how landlords across Los Angeles purchase rent-controlled buildings, and use illegal tenant harassment tactics to force tenants out to re-rent their units at higher rates.
In giving the award, the judges wrote that Ross’ story shines a light on a topic that is local, but has nationwide implications.
“A unique angle into a topic that affects every corner of the nation, this story sheds light on a little-known business practice that is probably making some rich while potentially harming others,” the judge’s wrote. “That’s exactly the kind of premise a traditional investigative story explores, but this doesn’t feel like a traditional story. It feels perfectly modern and timely,” wrote the LA Press Club’s judges.
Ross said the story exemplifies the unnatural process of neighborhood displacement and gentrification: it is driven by intentional actors, not something that just passively happens to a neighborhood.
“This story illustrates the scale of the profits that come from breaking rent control in Los Angeles. Flipping units to market rate is so lucrative that it is an industry in its own right, with various actors making money off the landlords who are making money off removing poor tenants for their homes,” Ross said.
In addition to Ross’ award, LA Public Press was also nominated for two other stories. Elizabeth Chou’s examination of an LAPD officer’s unsubstantiated comments on crime at a neighborhood council meeting was nominated for the “A-Mark Prize for Reporting on Misinformation and Disinformation.”
Amanda Del Cid Lugo and contributor Marina Peña were nominated in the “hard news” category for their reporting on street vendor harassment and how the activists that advocated for them were violently targeted by police.
“It’s a testament to the skill and the tenacity of this team that they are already being recognized for their work in some of Los Angeles’ press institutions fewer than two years after LA Public Press launched,” said Matt Tinoco, LA Public Press’ publisher. “I look forward to much more.”