What people are saying

A tweet from Andrea Elliott, a journalist and a staff writer for The New York Times, saying "Brilliant reporting on the intricacies of homelessness." She is the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in both Journalism and Letters.
A tweet from U.S. Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager thanking Ethan Ward for his work on the AB379 street medicine bill she championed.
Three tweets about Ethan Ward's reporting on LGBTQ homelessness for LAist 89.3
Jasmine Cannick tweets Ethan Ward's explainer on LA's homelessness crisis is a "must read."

Selected work

Award-winning reporting with point of view.

Elevating untold cultural narratives.

Empathy-driven storytelling.

Ethan holds the 2022 LA Press Club Award for Public Service News at the Capital & Main office in Los Angeles.

 


Reputation, a 9-episode limited series podcast about homelessness from HEATDRAWN Media. Winner: 2024 LA Press Club Award, 2nd Place, Best Limited Series Podcast; Winner: 2023 Housing Narrative Award for Best Podcast Episode; Finalist: 2024 LA Press Club Award, Race and Society Reporting for Episode 1

 
Click the image to listen to Reputation. Podcast art by Kelly Bernard. Learn more about my company HEATDRAWN Media.

Sarah Fay lives between her grandmother’s garage, motels and a car. She represents hundreds of thousands of people who are invisibly unhoused. Winner: 2023 Online Journalism Award, Features; Winner: 2022 LA Press Club 65th SoCal Journalism Award, Public Service News/Feature; 2022 SABEW Best In Business, Pt. 1 in Personal Finance; Honorable Mention, features category for entire series; 2022 California Journalism Award, 3rd place, features category

Sarah Fay photographed by Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Barbara Davidson 
The story made the front page of USA Today. Sarah Fay lensed by Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Barbara Davidson.

I wrote about the 1,383 people who died while experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles in 2020. Winner of two 2021 SoCal Journalism Awards

An illustration of three faceless unhoused people in Los Angeles with a candle next to each portrait 
Click the image to read the story on Crosstown LA. Illustration by Shideh Ghandeharizadeh.

LISTEN: Black people disproportionately represent the unhoused population in Los Angeles. I wrote about what that means during a struggle for racial equity. Winner: 2022 SoCal Journalism Award, 2nd place, Local Political/Government Reporting

 
L.A. City Councilmember Curren Price and Ethan Ward walk to a safe sleeping site in Price's district. Photographed 2/23/22 by Alborz Kamalizad.

Addressing homelessness in LA means confronting racial bias in charitable giving. Winner: 2024 LA Press Club 66th SoCal Journalism Awards, 2nd place, Race and Society Reporting 

Click the image to read the story on AfroLA. Photo illustration by Shawntel Johnson.

Are you willing to open up your home to people in need to help with the homelessness crisis? Winner: 2024 LA Press Club 66th SoCal Journalism Awards, Solutions Journalism

 
Click the image to read the story. Martha Hernandez photographed by Richard H. Grant for AfroLA. The SoCal Journalism Award trophy photo credit: Dana Amihere of AfroLA.
The first place trophy for Ethan Ward of AfroLA for Solutions Journalism, Print/Online at the 66th annual SoCal Journalism Awards presented by the LA Press Club.

LISTEN: L.A. County chronically underfunded its 211 L.A. Hotline and reduced its ability to respond to the increase in calls from people experiencing homelessness like Jami Taylor, a woman fleeing domestic violence. After that story published, Jami revealed to me she was struggling with fentanyl addiction. I wrote a follow up about her journey.

 
Click the image to read and listen to the story for LAist.

LISTEN: I saw a woman defecating in a bucket. I wrote about why there aren’t more public toilets in Los Angeles for people experiencing homelessness. 

Click the image to read and listen to the story that was also featured on HBO’s ‘Last Week Tonight’ with John Oliver.

Growing up, I was told in church I was going to hell for being gay. But Black churches in LA are starting to embrace LGBTQ+ youth. Will it help reduce homelessness and keep families together?

Ethan Ward is shown around 9 years old in the cover art for the AfroLA story. 
Sharing my personal experiences for this story was scary, but I'm glad it was to highlight solutions. Click the image to read on AfroLA. Illustration by Hal Saga.

LISTEN: Many unhoused LGBTQ+ people are living on the streets; Often, their families put them there. A lesson in where Los Angeles can improve services for young LGBTQ+ people experiencing homelessness.

The LA LGBT Center in Hollywood. 
The LA LGBT Center in Hollywood photographed by Ethan. Click the image to read the story for LAist.

LISTEN: Lisa Chilton was employed with savings until two accidents at work spun her life out of control. She spent five years couch surfing and knows anyone can end up on the streets.

 
Lisa Chilton photographed by Ethan at her studio apartment in Hollywood in Sept. 2021. Click the image to read the story on LAist.

Mike Balog is nearly 70 years old. He’s lived in his rent-controlled apartment in Hollywood for almost 30 years. His landlord has worked for almost a decade to get him out. I spent time with him as he battled his landlord and cared for an ailing mother.

Mike Balog, photographed by Ethan Ward in his car driving in Los Angeles. 
Mike Balog drives to visit his mother battling dementia as Ethan rides along. Moments before Ethan arrived, he got a call saying she might not make it. Click the image to read the story for Capital & Main, also published in USA Today.

LISTEN: Unhoused people rarely see a doctor, but street medicine could change that.

 
Brett Feldman of USC’s Street Medicine team treats Doug, an unhoused man’s arm while Joseph Becerra, a community health worker, and U.S. Congresswoman (then California Senator) Sydney Kamlager watch. Photographed by Ethan Aug. 2021.

With the right app, you can get anything you want. Many unhoused people have cell phones. So why can’t they find apps to help them get a roof over their heads? Exploring if Silicon Valley should create solutions that get people housed.

An iPhone hangs from the neck of Vince, an unhoused man living in a park in Hollywood, CA. 
Vince was living in a Hollywood park when he met Ethan in Sept. 2022. Vince was frustrated about having to go through a middle man to find housing. With advances in AI, people like Vince could be left further behind. Click the image to read the story for Capital & Main also featured on the technology website Fast Company.

LISTEN: Experts say more funding is needed to help LGBTQ+ people experiencing homelessness who aren’t young or old enough to access targeted services, especially for trans and non-binary people who have to overcome certain prejudices to get safe and affordable housing.

Downtown Los Angeles skyline at dusk from Skid Row. 
The downtown LA skyline from Skid Row photographed by Ethan. Click the image to read the story for LAist.

Unhoused people sometimes refuse offers of shelter. Michael Banyard talks about the challenges he’s faced over the years and asks for empathy. 

Michael Banyard photographed by Ethan outside his tent in Los Angeles in March 2022. Click the image to read the story for LAist.

Exploring language in the LAPD crime code manual. ‘Prostitute’, ‘lynching’, and ‘crippled’. 

Click the image to read the story for Crosstown LA. Illustration by Kiera Smith.

I asked Angelenos how they would solve the homelessness problem in LA. Here is what they said.

A LA Street sign reads This entire block is subject to enforcement of CA Penal Code 647 and L.A.M.C. 56.11, which regulate dwelling and storage of property in the public right of way. 
One of LA’s many street signs that warn people experiencing homelessness not to sleep or store their belongings on the sidewalk. Click the image to read the story for LAist.

Exploring data about suspects who wore hoodies played out in LAPD data and the implications after the murder of Trayvon Martin.

Illustration of a man wearing a hoodie by Andrew Hulin. 
Click the image to read the story for Crosstown LA. Illustration designed by Andrew Hulin.

I profiled Sumaiyya Evans' years-long journey to housing. Her story is a reminder of the importance of community, the need for patience, and the value of investing in people.

A June 2022 selfie with Ethan Ward and Sumaiyya Evans 
A June 2022 selfie with Ethan and Sumaiyya Evans. Click the image to read the story on LAist.

Media highlights

ABC7: How arson fires in Los Angeles increased during the pandemic

Spectrum News: Boyle Heights Protestors Want Rent Forgiven During Safer at Home