About Me
I’m a Los Angeles–based investigative journalist covering homelessness, housing policy, environmental justice, and public safety. My reporting appears in Invisible People, The Wave, LA Focus, and other outlets, examining how policy decisions shape the lives of vulnerable communities.
My work focuses on accountability journalism—scrutinizing public institutions, analyzing records and court filings, and documenting the lived consequences of government policy. My reporting on homelessness policy has been featured by the USC Homelessness Policy Research Institute, highlighting the growing intersection between journalism, research, and public policy.
I hold a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of London and a paralegal certificate from UCLA Extension. That training informs my approach to investigative reporting, particularly when examining legal filings, regulatory systems, and government accountability.
Recent reporting has explored lead contamination in Watts, rising hate crimes in Los Angeles, and systemic failures in public services affecting unhoused communities.
In addition to journalism, I am preparing to publish my first book, combining narrative storytelling with deeply reported social issues.
My goal is simple: pursue truth with rigor and center the voices of people most affected by the systems that govern their lives.
Areas of Focus
• Investigative journalism and public-policy reporting
• Homelessness and housing systems
• Environmental justice
• Legal systems and court reporting
• Race, community power, and civic accountability
Contact
Email: stephenoduntan@ymail.com
LinkedIn: Stephen Oduntan
"The writer has to take the most used, most familiar objects—nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs—ball them together and make them bounce, turn them a certain way and make people get into a romantic mood; and another way, into a bellicose mood. I'm most happy to be a writer."
Maya Angelou