Compton mayor Aja Brown standing in front of the Martin Luther King Memorial near Compton City Hall; Credit: Stephen Hoffman/KPCC

The mayor and city council members of Compton have courted local controversy as scrutiny from the DA’s office brought issues of wages and compensation to the fore.

At issue is whether these elected officials should be paid additional public appropriations for their attendance at meetings for commissions of which they are members. The positions of mayor and city council member for Compton are part-time positions that pay $63,000 and $55,800, respectively.

The DA has cited an proliferation of sessions that “are often of very short duration. Many Housing commission meetings last only one minute.” The mayor has been paid thousands of dollars per month for attending commissions on Gaming, Housing Development, Compton Public Finance, and more.

The following is an excerpt of Compton Mayor Aja Brown’s response to the allegations:

The city charter does not state that council members should serve “part-time” which is oftentimes stated in error. Now, in the current city structure, I can only recommend policy changes to the council body. If the city council as a body, does not decide to take action on policy changes that require a charter change, the next option is to bypass the council through a signature-gathering effort (voter petition) to force a special election. Unfortunately, the city council did not support giving voters their opportunity to vote on the reform package in November 2015, which not only addressed reducing council salaries, but included a 1 cent sales tax measure to repave every city street, hire additional firefighters, purchase critical safety equipment, improve street lighting, refurbish city parks, provide dedicated funding for youth programs, gang intervention, and more.

How should local officials be compensated to avoid controversy? Should all local officials be full-time? What benefits, if any, should they be provided?

I made more on my first job out of college than I do as Mayor of Compton and I work twice as many hours. #publicservice

— Aja Brown (@AjaLBrown) August 21, 2015

These are the facts: http://t.co/zFiJ5OU3O9. I don't have authority to change compensation alone, takes 3 votes. I've tried several times.

— Aja Brown (@AjaLBrown) August 21, 2015

Guests:

Bob Stern, Former president of the L.A.-based Center for Governmental Studies and principal co-author of California’s Political Reform Act, passed by 70% of the state’s voters in 1974. Stern was also the first general counsel of the California Fair Political Practices Commission (1975-83)

Karen Foshay, Senior investigative producer, Al Jazeera

In this photo illustration, a man visits the Ashley Madison website on August 19, 2015 in London, England. Hackers who stole customer information from the cheating site AshleyMadison.com dumped 9.7 gigabytes of data to the dark web on Tuesday fulfilling a threat to release sensitive information including account details, log-ins and credit card details, if Avid Life Media, the owner of the website didn't take Ashley Madison.com offline permanently.; Credit: Carl Court/Getty Images

Under what circumstances is it okay for the media to contact victims of a hack that illegally publicizes people’s private information?

That’s the question being raised in the aftermath of the Ashley Madison hack. News media have been contacting some subscribers to the married dating site Ashley Madison.

The purported reason - to find out if public employees used government resources to pursue dates. Is that media action driven by true public interest, or prurient ones? Are private citizens fair game? Or just government officials, and the like?

In California, dozens of city, county, and state employees email addresses were exposed in the hack. Though it’s unclear if any one of members actually used the site, merely signed up out of curiosity, or had their email address used by someone else.

But if the emails have a government extension, is it within the bounds of journalists to target them, since they’re using government resources and possibly time to, at the very least, explore a site presumably having nothing to do with their line of work?

Tweet us with #AshMadMedia to let us know!

Guests:

Jane Kirtley, professor of media ethics and law at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota

Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the USC Trojans looks on in the game against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl on November 22, 2014 in Pasadena, California. ; Credit: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

A contrite Steve Sarkisian spoke to the media this morning and apologized for his actions after a drunken episode this past weekend at an annual football dinner raised eyebrows, not to mention questions about the culture of alcohol within the University of Southern California’s football program.

Sarkisian called his actions ‘irresponsible’ and says he’s sworn off drinking for the rest of this season. When asked what happened, he said that he mixed medication with alcohol, though he didn’t give a reason for taking the meds.  He also said that he plans to seek treatment, though he doesn’t know if he has a drinking problem.

Saturday night, an allegedly very loose Sarkisian spoke to an audience at the Salute to Troy football dinner about the upcoming season, at one point proclaiming “Get ready to (expletive) fight on, baby!” He also said “They all suck” when referring to road games this season against Arizona State, Notre Dame, and Oregon. Sarkisian was allegedly pulled away from the microphone by athletic director Pat Haden, who then spoke to Sarkisian backstage about his behavior.

Sarkisian is in his second year as head coach of the Trojans. Alcohol had been banned from the locker room before his tenure, but Sarkisian brought it back last year, though he maintains it was only in the coaches’ locker room after big wins. Previously, he was head football coach at the University of Washington, and at least one person who worked in the athletic department at Washington but asked to remain nameless said that Sarkisian used to keep alcohol around when he coached there as well.

Do you think Coach Sarkisian should receive a suspension? Do you think a double standard exists when it comes to punishing players versus punishing coaches? What does this say about the culture of alcohol in college football?

Guest: 

Scott Wolf, USC beat writer for the Los Angeles Daily News. He was at this morning’s press conference with Coach Sarkisian.

Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson looks on during church services at Maple Street Missionary Baptist Church on August 16, 2015 in Des Moines , Iowa. Ben Carson attended Sunday church services before campaigning at the Iowa State Fair; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

He’s a political outsider. A straight shooter. And a GOP hopeful running to become the next President of the United States. His name is Ben Carson.

Donald Trump’s rise in the GOP primary has eclipsed the rest of the sizable field, particularly Carson. The retired pediatric neurosurgeon has ranked high in the recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, coming in third (tied with Scott Walker) after Trump and Jeb Bush as the most popular candidates for Republican voters.

Who is Ben Carson? What is his political platform?

Guests:

Katie Glueck, political reporter for POLITICO who’s covering  the 2016 campaign

Raynard Jackson, GOP political strategist and CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, a political consulting firm in DC

There's a current bill pending in the Senate mandating that California children attend kindergarten. ; Credit: woodleywonderworks via Flickr

For now, California kids don’t have to start their formal education until age 6, meaning kids could skip kindergarten and begin school in first grade.

But, currently there’s a bill pending in the Senate mandating that California children attend kindergarten.

The bill has passed in the Assembly. Research points to low-income family kids suffering for not attending kindergarten, especially with the accelerated academic expectations of kids these days. Research also points to kindergarten having little impact on middle to upper class kids.

Does it make sense to mandate five year olds attend school? Does it infringe on the current parental right to choose? Do the benefits of serving all children outweigh that possible infringement? Is it worth it for California to spend the hundreds of millions of dollars necessary in order to build out the infrastructure needed to support mandatory kindergarten?

AB 713 - Elementary Education: Kindergarten

Guest:

Gib Hentshke, emeritus dean and professor at the Rossier School of Education at USC

Lisa Snell, Director of Education at The Reason Foundation 

Dolphins swim in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Sao Miguel island in the Azores on June 2, 2015; Credit: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP/Getty Images

Can animals think and feel? Anyone with a pet will likely say yes. Animal researcher Carl Safina is taking that question one step further by asking what and how do nonhuman animals feel.

His new book, “Beyond Words,” documents Safina’s journey to Amboseli National Park in Kenya to study how elephants survive poaching; to Yellowstone National Park to observe a pack of grieving wolves; to the Pacific Northwest to figure out how killer whales communicate with each other. It gives readers a glimpse into the range of emotions animals are capable of feeling.

In addition to writing, Carl also hosts the PBS series 'Saving the Ocean,' which you can watch for free at PBS.org.

Carl Safina will be discussing his book tonight, August 25, at 7:00pm at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Click here for more information. 

Guests:

Carl Safina, a marine conservationist and the author of numerous books, including his latest, “Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel” (Henry Holt and Co., 2015)

A partial cutaway model of residential spaces called 'New York GoHome' at the Museum of the City of New York January 23, 2013 during the opening of a new exhibition, 'Making Room: New Housing for New Yorkers'. New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled yesterday New York City’s first “micro-unit” building will have apartments as small as 250 square feet; Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

The debate over affordable housing in Los Angeles county seems to be hitting a fever pitch.

This week alone, two county groups have released reports on the growing numbers of homeless, the LA City Council's Planning and Land Use Committee is taking up a motion to draft an ordinance regulating short-term rentals, which could potentially land a blow to Airbnb, and KPCC is taking a deeper look at Section 8 housing.

LA City Hall is also debating the utility of tiny, curbside homes on wheels. Elvis Summers began building the wooden, single-room structures that can fit into about the size of parking spot, to address what he saw as a  need for homeless people to get off the streets. The results went viral. He raised $85,128 through a Go Fund Me campaign.

Watch his project

But now Harbor-area Councilman Joe Buscaino is trying to get the homes booted from his neighborhood, arguing they pose a risk to public safety.

Do you think tiny homes are a possible solution to homelessness in LA County? Or are they just a bandaid on a much larger issue?

All Alone: Antecedents of Chronic Homelessness

Guests:

Joe Buscaino, Councilman for the 15th District in Los Angeles, which includes San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City, Harbor Gateway and Watts

Elvis Summers, builder of tiny homes for homeless

"Emmy Award"; Credit: Hans Splinter via Flickr

The controversial premise of A&E’s “Intervention,” a nightmarishly realistic portrayal of addiction recovery, may be what’s propelled the show to its 14th season.

It’s certainly part of what’s garnered it another Emmy nomination for best Unstructured Reality show this year. Reality TV began as a kooky trend at the turn of the millennium but is now a staple for audiences and the industry.

AirTalk is taking a deeper look at this year's Emmy category of Unstructured Reality, and today we dive into the dark world of “Intervention.” The series deals with individuals struggling with a wide spectrum of addictions--from crystal meth or sex, to duster or alcohol--and the people in their lives begging them to seek treatment.

Guest:

Jeffrey Weaver, executive producer of A&E’s “Intervention”

EJ and Kellie trying to make a fire on the Discovery channel's ``Naked and Afraid."; Credit: Steve Rankin

The Discovery channel's bold launch of the unique survival show, "Naked and Afraid," has paid off as a ratings success, a trend-setter, and an Emmy nomination this year for Outstanding Unstructured Reality program.

In the one-hour, primetime, cable show, complete strangers - one woman and one man - are challenged to survive the world's most extreme environments, all in the buff. As is the case with other survivalist shows, producers find remote locations with barely enough water, scant food sources, and tough weather conditions - except instead of participants fighting to eliminate each other, they try to help each other survive for 21 days.

Viewers learn about survival techniques, gender dynamics, and personal endurance. The crew themselves endure swampland, wild jungles, and desert scarcity that have led to a near-fatal snake bite and other dangerous encounters.

AirTalk is taking a deeper look at this year's Emmy category of Unstructured Reality, and we have two show-runners of "Naked and Afraid," Stephen Rankin and Mathilde Bittner, in studio to divulge more about the casting process, the blurring process, and the limits of human endurance in the wild. Which locations presented the greatest obstacles? What have they learned about human nature? Why didn’t the producers dangerous encounters spur them to “tap out?”

Guests:

Stephen Rankin, Emmy-nominated Executive Producer of Discovery’s “Naked and Afraid”

Mathilde Bittner, Emmy-nominated Co-Executive Producer of Discovery’s “Naked and Afraid”

New Day Vs. Lucha Dragons Vs. Los Matadores fight at the WWE SummerSlam 2015 at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on August 23, 2015 in New York City; Credit: JP Yim/Getty Images

For many guys growing up, pro-wrestling is something they watched and enjoyed but grew out of by the time they hit, say, 13.

But pro-wrestling is enjoying a renaissance of sorts in the US, led by the popularity of the World Wrestling Entertainment, a media company devoted to the sport. About 41 percent of WWE’s viewers are young men – the coveted 18-34 demographic that advertisers want.

Other indications also point to pro-wrestling’s slow but certain entry into the American mainstream. ESPN carried its first-ever live broadcast from a WWE event on Sunday, hosted by none other than funnyman Jon Stewart.

What’s bringing audiences back to pro-wrestling? What’s the history of the sport in the US? Are you a fan of pro-wrestling, call and let us know why.

Guests:

David Shoemaker, contributing writer covering pro wrestling for Grantland, and author of “The Squared Circle: Life, Death, and Pro Wrestling” (Gotham, 2013) and co-hosts the pro-wrestling podcast “Cheap Heat”

Still from live CBS video feed during Moneta shooting on August 26, 2015; Credit: via Youtube

The story is still developing out of Moneta, VA, where a reporter and cameraman at central Virginia's WDBJ TV were shot and killed on live TV while doing an interview at a local mall.

The suspect is former WDBJ newsman Vester Flanagan, who used the air name Bryce Williams. He is still in critical condition, after reportedly shooting himself after being confronted by officers just off Interstate 66.

A person tweeting under the suspect’s name posted comments about the two victims and video of the shootings taken from the shooter's perspective.

The posts began with comments apparently aimed at reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward - "Alison made racist comments," "EEOC report filed," "They hired her after that??," "Adam went to HR on me after working with me one time!!!," "I filmed the shooting see Facebook."

The next posting was video of the shooting from the shooter's perspective, which KPCC has decided not to post online or broadcast. Twitter suspended the account minutes later.

It’s difficult to recall a time when social media has been used this sway in real time. It has not been confirmed that Vester Flanagan, aka Bryce Williams, was tweeting while being pursued by police. But it would be an elaborate fabrication if it's someone else using his account.

Regardless, it’s not possible yet talk about this with certainty. ABC News says that between last night and this morning the network received a 23-page fax from someone who claimed to be Bryce Williams. ABC News isn't sharing the contents of the document but says it turned it over to law enforcement.

The combination of the 23-page fax and the disgruntled worker are reminding many in California of the shooting rampage carried out by Chris Dorner, a disgruntled former LAPD officer, who fatally shot 4 people and then himself in a series of shootings that led to a prolonged manhunt in February of 2013.

What are the red flags and psychological profiles of workplace violence? And with such instant media access, how does more traditional broadcast media, and Twitter, weigh decisions to replay such terrible acts of violence?

Guests:

Joel Dvoskin, a board certified forensic psychologist and a senior psychologist with the Threat Assessment Group, a Newport Beach-based firm that works with Fortune 200 companies on workplace violence prevention. He is based in Tucson, Az.

Jane Kirtley, professor of media ethics and law at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota

; Credit: Photo by Will Culpepper via Flickr Creative Commons

Should you be allowed to take a picture with your ballot?

Up until recently the practice has been banned thanks to laws protecting voter secrecy, but those laws were written at a time when smartphones didn’t exist.

A recent decision from a federal court in New Hampshire struck down the state’s ban on ‘ballot selfies,’ photos of people posing with their ballots in voting booths, and created a new discussion over whether showing marked ballots is a form of free speech protected by the 1st Amendment.

Those who support the ruling say that taking a photo with one’s ballot is a Constitutionally-protected form of political expression. Opponents say the ruling could open up a new wave of vote buying and voter coercion.

Do you agree with the New Hampshire court’s ruling? Should ballot selfies be protected by the Constitution?

Leon H. Rideout, Andrew Langlois and Brandon D. Ross v. William M. Gardner, New Hampshire Secretary of State

YOU CAN JOIN THE CONVERSATION WITH US VIA TWITTER UNDER THE HASHTAG #BALLOTSELFIES

Guests:

Michael P. McDonald, associate professor of political science at the University of Florida and a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He is also director of The Election Project, an online resource for information and statistics on the U.S. electoral system.

Rick Hasen, chancellor’s professor of law and political science at the University of California, Irvine. He also writes the Election Law Blog

"Birthday, Maternity & Expectations"; Credit: Phallnn Ool

The term anchor babies has gotten a lot of attention in the Presidential race.

In his attempt to clarify his initial “anchor babies” comment, Jeb Bush said that he was talking about “organized efforts” mostly executed by “asian women” who intentionally give birth on U.S. soil to ensure citizenship for their children as a bigger issue than Latinos.

Now, members of the Asian-American community are upset. But the reality is, so-called “maternity houses” do exist in Los Angeles, and in particular, the San Gabriel valley.

At these houses, women are typically cared for prenatally and through their births. Birth certificates are taken care of for them. These kind of stays can cost women tens of thousands of dollars.

So it’s upwardly mobile Chinese making this choice, usually driven by unpredictable socio-political conditions in China. U.S. citizenship is perceived as a way to give their children future choices, if things go very sour in China.

We'll look at Asian maternity tourism in Southern CA, and try to find out how many babies we're talking about.

Guests:

Alex Garcia, supervising regional planner in the Department of Regional Planning for LA County, and supervisor overseeing the maternity boarding house task force

Steven Castillo, detective in the Arcadia police department

Leslie Berestein-Rojas, KPCC reporter

Karthick Ramakrishnan, Professor and Associate Dean at the School of Public Policy at UC Riverside

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker announces to supporters and news media gathered at the Waukesha County Expo Center that he will seek the Republican nomination for president on July 13, 2015 in Waukesha, Wisconsin. ; Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Wisconsin governor and GOP presidential hopeful Scott Walker is perhaps most known for slashing collective bargaining rights for most government employees in 2011, and in 2015, signing into a “right-to-work” law that made Wisconsin the 25th state in the nation to give workers the freedom to choose whether they want to join a labor union.

Walker’s presidential campaign seeks to build on those two victories during his governorship.

What is his political platform? What are his policies? What are his beliefs on issues ranging from education to reproductive rights to gay marriage to immigration?

Guests:

Patrick Marley, politics and statehouse reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He’s also co-authored with Jason Stein of “More Than They Bargained For: Scott Walker, Unions and the Fight for Wisconsin” (University of Wisconsin Press, 2013). He tweets @patrickdmarley

Jenna Johnson, Washington Post reporter covering Scott Walker and his presidential campaign. She tweets @wpjenna

“Leap: Leaving a job with no plan B to find the career and life you really want” by Tess Vigeland; Credit: Penguin and Random House

How do you know when it’s time to leave a perfectly good job? That’s the subject of former Marketplace Money host Tess Vigeland’s latest book, “Leap: Leaving a job with no plan B to find the career and life you really want.” It’s a subject Vigeland knows intimately well, as she made said leap herself when she decided to quit her dream job as a national radio host.

Guest:

Tess Vigeland, former host/anchor with public radio's Marketplace from 2001 to 2012 and author of “Leap: Leaving a job with no plan B to find the career and life you really want”

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, venue for two previous Olympic Games, is seen in this on August 26, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. The Coliseum would be renovated and used as the main stadium if the city bids for the 2024 Summer Olympics. The Los Angeles city council is reviewing a $4.1 billion bid proposal for the 2024 Summer Olympics that backers say could produce a surplus of $161 million if the city is awarded a third Summer Games. A 218-page bid book made public on August 25 shows plans for a Los Angeles Games rely on private-sector partners to pay more than $1.7 billion in venue costs and includes revenue projections such as $4.8 billion from ticket sales, broadcast rights and corporate sponsorships; Credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

The LA City Council held off yesterday in approving LA's bid for the 2024 Olympic games.

The City, and US Olympic Committee, are trying to hit an IOC deadline of September 15th. That fast timeline has some council members worried about having time to study the financial guarantees the IOC is demanding.

KPCC reported yesterday about a confusing item in the Olympics bid book from LA officials that claims Gov. Brown expressed support for a state "financial guarantee" for the Games. But now it's not clear Brown made the statement.

Should the City be the backstop if the host committee runs a loss?

LA 2024 Olympics Bid Book

Guests:

Ben Bergman, Senior Reporter for KPCC covering the Southern California Economy

Rich Llewellyn, legal council to the Mayor of Los Angeles

Zev Yaroslavsky, former Los Angeles County Supervisor, and is now affiliated with the UCLA’s history department, and the Luskin School of Public Affairs

Barry Sanders, chairman of the Southern California Committee For The Olympic Games

Donnie Wahlberg, Paul Wahlberg, City councilman Mark Treyger and Brooklyn Chamber President Carlo Scissura cut the ribbon to the new Wahlburgers Coney Island resturant on June 23, 2015 in the Brooklyn Borough of New York City. ; Credit: Neilson Barnard

The Wahlberg family may be best known for their two most successful sons, Mark and Donnie, who have both gone on to succeed in the film and music industries, the rest of the Wahlbergs are becoming household names as well, thanks to A&E’s reality series “Wahlburgers.”

This year, the show is up for an Emmy Award for Unstructured Reality Series.

Located in the Boston suburb of Hingham, Wahlburgers is a gourmet burger joined that Mark, Donnie, and Paul Wahlberg operate.

Because of Mark and Donnie’s careers, Paul is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Hingham  location, which happens to be across the street from the Wahlberg’s other restaurant, “Alma Nove.”

The reality series was created as a way to promote Wahlburgers, and what began with a single location in Hingham has now spread to other cities including Philadelphia, New York, and Toronto.

The show not only focuses on the daily happenings at the restaurant, but also the Wahlberg family dynamic. While many of the Wahlbergs appear on the show, the series’ main characters are Paul, Mark, Donnie, and their mother, Alma.

As AirTalk continues its profile of this year’s Emmy nominees for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Series, we’ll take a look at “Wahlburgers” with executive producer Rasha Drachkovitch and get the inside scoop on the restaurant, the Wahlbergs, and how the show ties both together.

Guest:

Rasha Drachkovitch, executive producer of the Emmy-nominated A&E unstructured reality series ‘Wahlburgers.’

Alaskans Atz and Bonnie Kilcher, at the 2 Sisters Cafe, Homer, Alaska, USA; Credit: Wonderlane via Flickr

The Kilchers are not your average family.

They live on a 600-acre plot of land just outside the remote community of Homer, Alaska, a place where electricity and water aren’t always running, and spend the few months that it’s not winter in Alaska preparing themselves to survive the cold.

All of this creates the basis for Discovery Channel’s “Alaska: The Last Frontier,” which chronicles the lives of the Kilchers as they try to survive the harsh conditions together. Family patriarch Atz and his brother Otto are the main focus of the show, though other members of the family and extended make appearances as well.

The show is currently broadcasting its fourth season. The Kilchers are kin to singer/songwriter Jewel (Kilcher).

Today on AirTalk, the showrunner for “Alaska: The Last Frontier” tells us how the idea for the show came about, the harsh conditions the Kilchers and the film crews have to endure while shooting, and his thoughts on being nominated for an Emmy Award.

Guest:

Daniel Soiseth, Executive Producer of Discovery’s “Alaska The Last Frontier”

Over 7,000 will be rolled out in Los Angeles over the next several months, making the city the largest user of the devices in the country. ; Credit: George Frey/Getty Images

On Monday, the LAPD rolls out the first batch of its brand new officer body cameras.

Mission Division in the northeast San Fernando Valley gets the first batch. Newton division in South LA follows in a couple of weeks.

Ultimately, the department's planning on more than 7,000 devices, which will make the city the largest user of the devices in the country.

Though there's a lot of support for body cams, there's a lot of disagreement over how the recordings will be handled. LAPD has said that it will not release footage to the public unless it’s part of a criminal or civil court proceeding. As of now, Los Angeles police officers can review their body-worn video before writing reports or giving statements to internal investigators. That’s where some concerns kick in.

Could the recordings be tampered with? In Seattle, their philosophy towards body-worn video is quite open. Greg Russell, Seattle Police Department’s Chief Information Officers says he hopes that in the future, the video might be live-streamed, automatically redacted (blurred and/or x), and put on a public website all in one process.

Would LAPD ever consider such transparency? How are other cities handling the policy of their body-worn video? Under what circumstances can the police record? What happens when officers forget to turn on camera or it malfunctions?

Guests:

Greg Meyer, member of the advisory board of Police Magazine and former police captain of the LAPD

Peter Bibring, director of police practices for the ACLU of California

Dan Simon, professor of law and psychology at USC; He wrote a recent Op-Ed in the LA Times supporting officers' right to view body cam footage before making a report

Dan Gomez, sergeant and officer in charge of tactical technology section at the Los Angeles Police Department.

Maria Lerma says she and her mother were forced to move out of their Boyle Heights home by a landlord who wanted to raise the rent. ; Credit: Susanica Tam for KPCC

Southern California is in a housing crisis. Rents here are the most unaffordable in the nation and there are tens of thousands of homeless.

There is a program out there that’s supposed to help people who can’t afford homes - Section 8. Through a public system of vouchers, participants in the Section 8 program are afforded the opportunity to gain subsidized access to rental housing.

Yet the system has a number of systemic issues. For the recipients of the vouchers, finding a place that will accept the voucher has become increasingly hard to find as vacancy rates are at a low. For landlords, accepting a resident through Section 8 can be a risky proposition.

Read the full story.

Guests:

Rina Palta, KPCC reporter covering southern California’s social safety net

Dan Faller, founder and president of the Apartment Owners Association of Southern California, one of the largest, independently run groups of landlords in the state, with over 20,000 members

Carlos VanNatter, director of the Section 8 program at the Housing Authority of Los Angeles