General Election 2026

I’m Heather Thomason, a Sunset Park mother, a writer, and a proud union member of the Writers Guild of America. I’m running for the Rent Control Board because I’ve lived the difference rent control makes. For 16 years I was a renter. I watched my rent jump 50 percent in a single year, then lost the next place I moved into when the landlord sold the unit. Displaced too many times, I sought out rent-controlled housing; its stability allowed me to start my own family and save toward a home of our own. I’ve now started answering calls on the Santa Monicans for Renters Rights tenants rights hotline and helping neighbors facing displacement. On the Board, I’ll work to protect our rent-controlled housing from demolition and from state laws that put it at risk. I’ll also help our most vulnerable residents stay in our city for the long term through stronger enforcement against harassment, education around typical buyout amounts, and helping connect renters who face eviction to assistance before they lose their homes.