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Lauren Hepler

Investigative Reporter

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Lauren Hepler is an investigative reporter at CalMatters focused on labor issues and California’s housing crisis. She has spent the past decade covering housing, labor and climate issues for the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Guardian, the LA Times and others. 

Lauren used to be an economic reporter at CalMatters, where she covered California’s $20 billion COVID unemployment fraud meltdown and Bank of America’s role in mass benefit payment delays. That coverage led to a 2023 investigation using internal state documents and stories of worker suicide, debt and lost homes to reveal what went wrong, plus a billion-dollar plan to fix the state’s unemployment system.

She was previously a staff housing reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle, the managing editor of the alt-weekly newspaper Good Times Santa Cruz and an economic reporter for the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Lauren has also worked as a fixer, a translator and a researcher for the BBC, Der Spiegel and on the book “Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America.”

Her work has won awards from the Sacramento Press Club, the California News Publishers Association and others. Lauren’s coverage has been featured on local and national radio and TV stations, podcasts and at a range of live events. 

She grew up in Ohio, graduated from George Washington University and the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and is based in Los Angeles. 

Other languages spoken: Spanish (fluent)

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Latest Stories

Explainers
California’s unemployment crisis, explained
Thousands of out-of-work Californians are struggling through the most severe job crisis on record as the state tries to account for up to $31 billion in benefits lost to fraud. Here’s what went wrong — and what might come next.
By • February 24, 2021
Dee Dee Myers speaks during a women's forum at the Wynn hotel and casino in Las Vegas on May 14, 2018. Myers, a former press secretary to President Bill Clinton, became a senior adviser to Gov. Gavin Newsom in December and director of the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development. Photo by John Locher, AP Photo
Economy
Economy czar Dee Dee Myers on vaccines, reopening and California’s ‘overblown’ exodus
Former Clinton press secretary Dee Dee Myers explains why she’s focused on small businesses for California’s recovery, doesn’t fear Elon Musk leaving for Texas and plans to let employers decide whether workers should be vaccinated before going back to work. But when it comes to reopening schools, which has disproportionately sidelined working moms, the author of “Why Women Should Rule the World,” says that’s still being negotiated.
By • February 11, 2021
EDD, Bank of America
Economy
How EDD and Bank of America make millions on California unemployment
State records obtained by CalMatters show that the employment agency made $22.5 million on unemployment debit card fees as the pandemic ravaged the job market, but it failed to track how much Bank of America earned off a debit card contract during the spike in benefits. Lawmakers are asking questions about the revenue-sharing deal as workers still missing money fight to survive.
By • February 3, 2021
Imagen a través de iSrock
CalMatters en Español
Cómo el EDD y Bank of America ganan millones con el desempleo en California
Los registros estatales obtenidos por CalMatters muestran que la agencia de empleo ganó $22.5 millones en tarifas de tarjetas de débito de desempleo cuando la pandemia devastó el mercado laboral, pero no pudo rastrear cuánto ganó Bank of America con un contrato de tarjeta de débito durante el aumento en los beneficios. Los legisladores están haciendo preguntas sobre el acuerdo de reparto de ingresos mientras los trabajadores aún sin dinero luchan por sobrevivir.
By • February 3, 2021

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Lauren Hepler - CalMatters
Lauren Hepler is an investigative reporter at CalMatters focused on labor issues and California’s housing crisis.
CalMatters
California, explained
Lauren Hepler
Lauren Hepler is an investigative reporter at CalMatters focused on labor issues and California’s housing crisis. She has spent the past decade covering housing, labor and climate issues for the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Guardian, the LA Times and others. Lauren has also worked as a fixer, a translator and a researcher for the BBC, Der Spiegel and on the book “Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America.” Her work has won awards from the Sacramento Press Club, the California News Publishers Association and others. She grew up in Ohio, graduated from George Washington University and the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and is based in Los Angeles. Other languages spoken: Spanish (fluent)