Heather Thomason, a writer and Sunset Park resident, is running for the Santa Monica Rent Control Board in the Nov. 3 general election.
Three seats are open.
Thomason said she believes rent control is Santa Monica's main form of affordability and stability, according to her remarks at a Santa Monica Democratic Club debate. She said rent control brings socioeconomic diversity to the city and is under constant threat.
Four other candidates are running: Kurt Gonska, Soledad Marcial, Sue Himmelrich and Zoe Muntaner. Voters choose up to three.
Candidate information
- Residence: Sunset Park, Santa Monica
- Profession: Writer; member of the Writers Guild of America, according to her city candidate profile
- Personal: Mother and former renter who lived in both market-rate and rent-controlled apartments in Santa Monica
- Endorsement: Santa Monica Democratic Club. Thomason was the only Rent Control Board candidate to earn an endorsement on the first ballot at the club's annual endorsement meeting, according to Santa Monica Next.
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Thomason's responses at the Santa Monica Democratic Club debate and her city candidate profile.
Rent control protections: Thomason said she wants to protect rent control, calling it the city's primary tool for affordability. She described her own experience as a renter, saying her rent was raised 50% in one year in a market-rate apartment. She said she then chose a rent-controlled apartment where she lived for eight years before buying a home.
Rental debt threshold charter amendment: Thomason identified this amendment as a top priority. She said it would give the board more time to help tenants with small rental debt and connect them with assistance programs funded by Measure GS.
Costa-Hawkins and Ellis Act: Thomason said she supports repealing both the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act and the Ellis Act.
State housing legislation: Thomason said she would work to educate rent-controlled residents about forces she described as threatening rent control, including market-rate housing state law bills. She said the board should pursue all available approaches: work within state limits, advocate for changes to state law and push for the strongest possible local interpretation of existing law.
Candidate positions are based on statements made by the candidate at the Santa Monica Democratic Club debate and on the candidate's city election profile. The Santa Monica Wave did not interview the candidate for this profile.
